John Cantey Villepigue (March 29, 1896 – April 18, 1943) was a corporal in the 118th Infantry, 30th Division which was federalized out of the South Carolina National Guard during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

for his actions during that war.

Biography

Villepigue was a descendant of

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

John Bordenave Villepigue John Bordenave Villepigue (July 2, 1830 – November 9, 1862) was a career U.S. Army officer who served on the Western Frontier and became a Confederate general in the American Civil War. One of his descendants would later be World War I Meda ...

. Like his relative, Villepigue was born and raised in

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South Caro ...

Kershaw County, South Carolina Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 65,403. The county seat and largest city is Camden. The county was created in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfie ...

, in which Camden is located, has a rich military history and was home to several heroes from different wars. Villepigue entered the Army in Camden, assigned to Company M, 118th Infantry, 30th Division. While fighting near

Vaux-Andigny Vaux-Andigny () is a Communes of France, commune in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aisne department References

Communes of Aisne Aisne comm ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, on October 15, 1918, Villepigue and two other soldiers were ordered to scout through the village of Vaux-Andigny. During their movement through the village, they were ambushed by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...

fire. One of his fellow soldiers was killed and the other was wounded. Advancing forward on his own for more than 500 yards, with his

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

left far behind, Villepigue encountered four enemy soldiers manning the machine gun pit. He engaged them with a hand grenade and killed them. Crawling another 150 yards forward, he encountered a second machine gun pit which he rushed alone. He killed another four enemy soldiers, captured six and secured two machine guns. He was badly wounded in the arm during this action. Villepigue was buried near John B. Villepigue in the " Old Quaker Cemetery", in his hometown of Camden, South Carolina. This cemetery also maintains the grave of fellow World War I Medal of Honor recipient Richmond Hobson Hilton, the graves of Civil War Confederate Generals

Joseph B. Kershaw Joseph Brevard Kershaw (January 5, 1822 – April 13, 1894) was a prominent South Carolina planter and slaveholder. He was also a lawyer, judge, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. Early life Kershaw was born on January 5, 182 ...

and

John Doby Kennedy John Doby Kennedy (January 5, 1840 – April 14, 1896) was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, as well as a post-war planter, attorney, politician, and the 57th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina serving ...

, as well as Confederate soldier and hero from the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

Richard Rowland Kirkland Richard Rowland Kirkland (August 1843 – September 20, 1863), known as "The Angel of Marye's Heights", was a Confederate Army, Confederate soldier during the American Civil War, noted by both sides for his bravery and the story of his humanit ...

. In 2004, Villepigue was honored by the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

for his heroism during World War I.

Medal of Honor Citation

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company M, 118th Infantry, 30th Division. Place and date: At Vaux-Andigny, France; October 15, 1918. Entered service at: Camden, South Carolina. Born: March 29, 1896; Camden, South Carolina. General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 16 (January 22, 1919). Citation:

Having been sent out with two other soldiers to scout through the village of Vaux-Andigny, Corporal Villepigue met with strong resistance from enemy machinegun 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 machinegun 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 machinegun nest, killing four and capturing six of the enemy and taking two light machineguns. After being joined by his platoon he was severely wounded in the arm.

Military Awards

Villepigue's military decorations and awards include:

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Villepigue, John C. United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army Medal of Honor recipients People from Camden, South Carolina 1896 births 1943 deaths World War I recipients of the Medal of Honor Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal Military personnel from South Carolina United States Army Infantry Branch personnel United States Army non-commissioned officers Burials in South Carolina Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)