World War I Medal of Honor Recipient. He received the award on December 31, 1919 for his actions as a corporal in Company M, 118th Infantry, 30th Division US Army on October 15, 1918 near Vaux-Andigny, France, in the final weeks of World War I. A descendant of American Civil War Confederate Brigadier General John Bordenave Villepigue, he joined the US Army from his hometown following the US entry into World War I and was sent to the Western Front in France. As part of a scouting party sent to search the French village of Vaus-Andigny for signs of resistance, his party was ambushed by machine gun fire and he ventured out on his own to find and destroy the enemy positions. He was later seriously wounded in the arm and was sent home, where he died at the age of 47. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "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."
World War I Medal of Honor Recipient. He received the award on December 31, 1919 for his actions as a corporal in Company M, 118th Infantry, 30th Division US Army on October 15, 1918 near Vaux-Andigny, France, in the final weeks of World War I. A descendant of American Civil War Confederate Brigadier General John Bordenave Villepigue, he joined the US Army from his hometown following the US entry into World War I and was sent to the Western Front in France. As part of a scouting party sent to search the French village of Vaus-Andigny for signs of resistance, his party was ambushed by machine gun fire and he ventured out on his own to find and destroy the enemy positions. He was later seriously wounded in the arm and was sent home, where he died at the age of 47. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "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."
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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