John Albert Spruell

Johnny Spruell was born in Eva, Oklahoma on August 4, 1931 and was the son of Harry and Pauline Spruell. He attended school in Cortez until the middle of his junior year of high school in 1949, when he enlisted in the US Army. He took his basic training at Ft. Riley Kansas until finishing in March 1950, and was then sent to Ft. Lawton, Washington for additional training. 

During his time at Ft. Lawton the Korean War started in June 1950 and he was then sent to Japan, then Korea. There he was assigned to the 7th Infantry Division and served in the 57th Field Artillery Battalion. 

In North Korea while fighting the enemy near Chosin Reservoir at Hagaru-ri, North Korea on December 6, 1950 he was killed in combat and remains were not identified until August 2023.