Medal of Honor: John C. Villepigue, World War I, October 15, 1918
When his patrol was shattered by enemy guns, Corporal John Villepigue crawled forward alone through a storm of fire—fighting, killing, and capturing until his company could advance.
October 15, 2025
Name: John C. Villepigue
Rank: Corporal
War: World War I
Date of Action: October 15, 1918
Unit: Company M, 118th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division (“Old Hickory”)
Born: March 29, 1896 – Camden, South Carolina
Entered Service At: Camden, South Carolina
Summary of Action
In the shattered village of Vaux-Andigny, France, the 118th Infantry was pushing against fierce German resistance when Corporal John Villepigue’s small scouting party came under murderous machine-gun fire. One of his men was killed, the other badly wounded—but Villepigue pressed on alone, crawling forward through the torn earth 500 yards ahead of his platoon.
He reached a German dugout and killed four of the enemy with a hand grenade. Still alone, he crept another 150 yards through the fire to a machine-gun nest, where he charged headlong into the position, killing four more Germans, capturing six, and seizing two enemy guns. Only after his platoon caught up and the ground was won did Villepigue fall, badly wounded in the arm.
His one-man assault broke the resistance at Vaux-Andigny—an act of courage that became legend in the ranks of the “Old Hickory” Division.
Medal of Honor Citation
VILLEPIGUE, JOHN C.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company M, 118th Infantry, 30th Division.
Place and date: At Vaux-Andigny, France, 15 October 1918.
Entered service at: Camden, S.C.
Born: 29 March 1896, Camden, S.C.
G.O. No.: 16, W.D., 1919.
Citation: Having been sent out with 2 other soldiers to scout through the village of Vaux-Andigny, he met with strong resistance from enemy machinegun fire, which killed 1 of his men and wounded the other. Continuing his advance without aid 500 yards in advance of his platoon and in the face of machinegun and artillery fire he encountered 4 of the enemy in a dugout, whom he attacked and killed with a handgrenade. Crawling forward to a point 150 yards in advance of his first encounter, he rushed a machinegun nest, killing 4 and capturing 6 of the enemy and taking 2 light machineguns. After being joined by his platoon he was severely wounded in the arm.
