Ludovicus Maria Matheus Van Iersel (19 October 1893 – 9 June 1987) was a Sergeant in United States Army, Company M, 9th Infantry, 2nd Division during World War I.

He became a naturalized American citizen in September 1919, six months after receiving the Medal of Honor, and changed his name to Louis Van Iersel.

Van Iersel volunteered to lead a party across the bridge in the face of heavy machinegun and rifle fire from a range of only 75 yards.

In spite of the swift current he succeeded in swimming across the stream and found a lodging place among the timbers on the opposite bank.

Disregarding the enemy fire, he made a careful investigation of the hostile position by which the bridge was defended and then returned to the other bank of the river, reporting this valuable information to the battalion commander.van Iersel's military decorations and awards include:[2][3]