William Lloyd Nelson was born near Dover, Delaware, on February 22, 1918, the son of J. Clarence and Carrie Phillips Nelson. After his family moved to a farm near Middletown, he attended the community’s public schools and graduated from Middletown High School in 1937. Active in the 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America, he was also recognized for his achievements in baseball, basketball, and football. He entered the United States Army on January 9, 1941, and as a member of the 60th Infantry, 9th Division, took part in the invasion of North Africa in the fall of 1942. On the morning of April 24, 1943, at Djebel Dardyss, Tunisia, he commanded a heavy mortar section and, seeking to stop a German counter-offensive, led his men to a forward position before advancing alone to observe the enemy and direct the attack. Under intense fire, he directed a concentrated barrage that halted the German advance, and though mortally wounded, he crawled to an even more advanced position and, while dying and only fifty yards from enemy forces, urged his section to continue the attack. His body was later returned to the United States for burial in Silverbrook Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware, and he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courage, self-sacrificing devotion to duty, and heroism.