Corporal Lewis Kenneth Brusell was born in Pulaski, Virginia on April 17, 1924. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at age 17. He served with the 5th Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division during the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of Cape Gloucester, and the Battle of Peleliu. During the Battle of Peleliu on September 15, 1944, he threw himself on a grenade to save the lives of fellow Marines. He died of his wounds on September 18, 1944, was buried at sea, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin Roosevelt on June 11, 1945. His other honors included the Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, four Bronze Stars, and the World War II Victory Medal. The destroyer USS Bausell was named in his honor, christened on November 19, 1945, and later served the U.S. Navy during the Korean and Vietnam wars. In Pulaski County, the entrance to Pulaski County Middle School, Medal of Honor Way, bears his name in recognition of his sacrifice.