Career
He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 27, 1951. He joined the Army from Danbury, Connecticut in 1949. By August 26, 1951, First Lieutenant Hartell was on the ground as a forward observer with B Company, 9th Infantry Regiment at the base of Hill 700 near Kobanson-ni.
Hill 700 was attacked and taken by B Company that day.
But the Chinese mounted a major counterattack at 0400 hours. Hartell walked the artillery fire right up the hill on top of the charging enemy.
Although many of the enemy were cut down, they just kept coming. Although wounded, he kept calling in artillery fire onto his hilltop.
Finally at 0630 hours, Hartell was hit in the chest by a bullet and his phone went dead.
One of the main roads at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was renamed Hartell Boulevard in his honor. The Connecticut Army National Guard has named its training installation in Windsor Locks, Connecticut Camp Hartell in his honor. Camp Hartell, 7th Information.
Division, 179th Artillery near Munsani, of Korea, is also named in his honor.
He had been a resident of Danbury, Connecticut and Lee Hartell Drive in Danbury was posthumously named in his honor. The "Hartell House" is a general officers mess named in his honor which has proudly served the Commanding Generals of United Nations Command, Republic of Korea/United States Combined Forces Command, United States Forces of Korea, and Eighth United States. Army.
He was laid to rest at Saint Peter"s Cemetery in Danbury, Connecticut.