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The LJVM Coliseum was originally named for Lawrence Joel, the only native of Winston-Salem who has been awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest combat award. Joel, an Army medic who passed away in 1984, was recognized for having saved the lives of 13 fellow soldiers during a Viet Cong attack north of Saigon on November 8, 1965. Although twice wounded in the legs by enemy gunfire, Joel crawled across the battle area for more than 24 hours, administering aid to his comrades.
Today, the coliseum continues to honor Lawrence Joel and all Forsyth County, NC veterans who courageously gave their lives while in their country’s service through the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial. Each veteran is remembered with a permanent marker in either the East Promenade or the West Promenade.
About Lawrence Joel
 On November 8, 1965 an Army medic from Winston-Salem, N.C. assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 503rd Infantry in the 173rd Airborne Brigade set out on an all-day patrol to search for Viet Cong Soldiers in the steaming jungles of Vietnam. To that point in his 16 years of service in the Army, Specialist Lawrence Joel had served with occupation forces in France, Germany and Italy; he did a tour in Lebanon; he was cited for treating troopers burned in a personnel carrier explosion in Alaska, but he had never seen any real combat, nor had he ever treated any battle casualties.
That was all about to change.
Joel's unit was ambushed by a Viet Cong battalion that outnumbered the American paratroopers six to one, and his first day of bloody combat commenced. He would spend nearly 24 hours in living hell. Wounded twice by Viet Cong machine gun fire, Joel never abandoned his duty to his fellow soldiers. After being struck in the right leg, he bandaged his own wounds, gave himself a shot of morphine to deaden the pain, and went back to his life-saving mission. He was struck a second time, and with a bullet lodged in his thigh, he continued to attend to the wounded, shouting words of encouragement to those around him as he dragged himself over the battlefield.
Joel is credited with saving the lives of 13 fellow soldiers before the fighting subsided many hours later.
Joel, who spent three months in hospitals in Saigon and Tokyo recovering from wounds to his right thigh and calf, received the Silver Star. On March 9, 1967, Joel earned the nation's highest award for bravery as President Lyndon Johnson presented Joel with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War on the White House lawn. Joel was the first medic to receive the Medal of Honor and the first living African-American recipient since the Spanish-American War.
In his presentation speech, President Johnson spoke of Joel's "very special kind of courage — the unarmed heroism of compassion and service to others.
"I'm glad to be alive," Joel said before going to Washington to receive his medal. "I just wish I could have done more. I never say that I deserved the medal. That's just not for me to say. It was just my job."
Upon returning home from receiving the Medal of Honor, at least 30,000 people turned out for a parade in his honor throughout his hometown of Winston-Salem.
Joel, who died of complications from diabetes in 1984, was born in Winston-Salem in 1928. He was educated in Winston-Salem elementary and junior high schools and attended Atkins High School. He served for one year in the Merchant Marines and, in 1946, enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 18.
He retired from military service in 1973.
In February 1986, the Winston-Salem Board of Alderman voted to name the city's new arena "Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum" in honor of Joel and all other Forsyth County veterans who died in service to their country.
Wake Forest is the only Power 5 school in the country to have its men's basketball arena named after an African American.
Joel is buried in Section 46 of Arlington National Cemetery adjacent to the Memorial Amphitheater.
In his presentation speech, President Johnson spoke of Joel’s “very special kind of courage — the unarmed heroism of compassion and service to others.” “I’m glad to be alive,” Joel said before going to Washington to receive his medal. “I just wish I could have done more. I never say that I deserved the medal. That’s just not for me to say. It was just my job.”
Joel, who died of complications from diabetes in 1984, was born in Winston-Salem in 1928. He was educated in Winston-Salem elementary and junior high schools and attended Atkins High School. He served for one year in the Merchant Marines and, in 1946, enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 18. He retired from military service in 1973. In February 1986, the Winston-Salem Board of Alderman voted to name the city’s new arena “Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum” in honor of Joel and all other Forsyth County veterans who died in service to their country.
Joel is buried in Section 46 of Arlington National Cemetery adjacent to the Memorial Amphitheater.
Basketball at LJVM Coliseum:
 Wake Forest basketball has called the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum home for the 32nd year in 2021-22. The arena seats 14,665 fans and has hosted four NCAA Tournament events (1993, 1997, 2000, 2007).
The Demon Deacon men's and women's teams have combined to win nearly 500 games at the venue since its opening prior to the 1989-90 season.
The Screamin' Demon student section cheer on the Deacons as one of the rowdiest crowds in college basketball. The Deacon rides out on his custom motorcycle during pre-game player introductions, giving Wake Forest and the Joel Coliseum one of the most electrifying environments in the country.
A number of notable Deacons have roamed the Joel over the years, including NBA stars Tim Duncan and Chris Paul. The Joel Coliseum has also been the collegiate home of future NBA players Al-Farouq Aminu, John Collins, Randolph Childress, Jaylen Hoard, Josh Howard, James Johnson, Rodney Rogers, Ishmael Smith, Darius Songaila and Jeff Teague.
In all, the Joel has housed four ACC Players of the Year (Rogers, Duncan twice, Paul), three ACC Rookies of the Year (Rogers, Robert O'Kelley, Paul) and four ACC Coaches of the Year (Dave Odom three times, Skip Prosser).
Hanging from the rafters of the Joel Coliseum are a number of championship banners, as well as 11 retired jersey numbers from the Wake Forest men's basketball program.
The Joel Coliseum houses dedicated locker rooms for both the men's and women's teams. The locker rooms feature a player lounge, a team meeting room and a sports medicine area.
Wake Forest purchased the venue, which sits on the corner of University Parkway and Deacon Boulevard, and the surrounding 33 acres from the City of Winston-Salem in August of 2013 and began renovations on the building shortly thereafter.
Directions to the LJVM Coliseum:
From The Southwest/West/Northwest:
Take I-40 East to Business 40
Exit Wake Forest/Silas Creek Northbound
Follow Silas Creek
Take Right onto University Parkway
From the North Using US 52:
Take US 52 South
Exit University Parkway
From the South/Southeast Via US 52:
Exit Akron Drive
Left over the bridge
Left onto Reynolds Blvd
Left onto Shorefair Drive
From the East Using I-40 West:
Exit US 52 North
Exit Akron Drive
Left over bridge
Left onto Reynolds Blvd
Left onto Shorefair Drive
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