World War II Honoree

Joseph Rogers Dupre'

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

New Orleans, Louisiana

Honored By

Carrell Killebrew

Relationship

Nephew

SERVED IN COMPANY K, 376TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 94TH INFANTRY DIVISION IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS FROM ITS LANDING IN FRANCE AND INTO OCCUPATION. DURING THE BATTLES TO CRACK THE SIEGFRIED SWITCH LINE, ON 15 JANUARY 1945, COMPANY K WAS ISOLATED AFTER ASSAULTING AND TAKING THE TOWN OF NENNIG, GERMANY. DURING THE ATTACK, GERMAN ARTILLERY FIRE HAD CUT THE COMPANY’S PHONE WIRE AND THE RADIOS WERE NOT OPERATIONAL. AN IMMINENT GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACK THREATENED TO THROW THE UNIT OUT OF THE TOWN, AND THE UNIT WAS UNABLE TO CALL FOR SUPPORTING ARTILLERY FIRE. “LIL JOE” AND A BUDDY VOLUNTEERED TO SPLICE THE PHONE WIRE BETWEEN THE FORWARD POSITIONS IN NENNIG AND THE COMPANY COMMAND POST, TO ALLOW THE UNIT TO REQUEST SUPPORTING FIRE. WHILE UNDER CONTINUOUS GERMAN OBSERVATION AND SUBJECT TO HEAVY MORTAR AND 88MM FIRE, “LIL JOE” AND HIS BUDDY CRAWLED SEVERAL HUNDREDS YARDS SPLICING THE WIRE. FOR VALOR IN COMBAT, “LIL JOE” AND HIS BUDDY EACH RECEIVED THE BRONZE STAR. “LIL JOE” INSISTS EVEN TO THIS DAY THAT THE REAL HEROES WEREN’T THOSE WHO RECEIVED MEDALS, BUT THOSE WHO DIED.