Melvin Mayfield was born in Salem (Harrison County) and joined the Army in 1941.

In the last weeks of World War II, he served in the Philippines with the 6th Infantry Division. On July 29, 1945, Mayfield bravely attacked four enemy positions alone, helping his unit succeed. For his courage, he received the Medal of Honor in 1946. Although he wasn't the last to receive his, Mayfield's was the last one awarded for World War II actions.

After the war, Mayfield ran a sawmill in Ohio and later lived in Frazeysburg, where he died on June 19, 1990. He is buried in Frazeysburg Cemetery.