John C. Villepigue

Advancing alone through Vaux-Andigny

John Cantey Villepigue was born on March 29, 1896, in Camden, South Carolina. He served as a corporal in Company M, 118th Infantry, 30th Division, during World War I.

On October 15, 1918, at Vaux-Andigny, France, he went forward with two soldiers to scout the village. Machine-gun fire killed one companion and wounded the other. Villepigue continued alone, well ahead of his platoon, through artillery and machine-gun fire. He attacked a dugout with a grenade, then advanced farther to capture a machine-gun nest, six prisoners, and two light machine guns. After his platoon reached him, he suffered a severe arm wound.

Major General George W. Read presented his Medal of Honor at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, on May 26, 1919. Villepigue died in Columbia on April 18, 1943, and was buried at Quaker Cemetery in Camden. His award commemorates a scout's persistence after his small patrol was struck by enemy fire.

Official Medal of Honor citation: Having been sent out with two other soldiers to scout through the village of Vaux-Andigny, he met with strong resistance from enemy machine-gun fire, which killed one of his men and wounded the other. Continuing his advance without aid 500 yards in advance of his platoon and in the face of machine-gun and artillery fire, he encountered four of the enemy in a dugout, whom he attacked and killed with a hand grenade. Crawling forward to a point 150 yards in advance of his first encounter, he rushed a machine-gun nest, killing four and capturing six of the enemy and taking two light machine guns. After being joined by his platoon he was severely wounded in the arm.