Medal of Honor recipient Melvin Mayfield (March 24, 1919 – June 19, 1990) was born in Salem (Harrison County). He enlisted in the Army in February 1941 in Nashport, Ohio.

During the final weeks of World War II, Mayfield was serving as a corporal in the Pacific Theater with Company D, 20th Infantry Regiment, 6th Infantry Division. On July 29, 1945, in the Cordillera Mountains on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, he bravely attacked four enemy positions by himself. His courageous actions helped his unit move forward and complete its mission. For his heroism, he was awarded the Medal of Honor on May 31, 1946.

After Mayfield, no additional Medals of Honor were issued for actions during World War II, although some did personally receive theirs later than Mayfield did.

After the war, Mayfield returned home and ran his own sawmill in Licking, Ohio. Records from the 1950 census indicate that he worked about 72 hours a week. He later lived in Frazeysburg, Ohio, where he passed away on June 19, 1990. Melvin Mayfield is buried in the Frazeysburg Cemetery.