World War II Honoree

Ralph G. Neppel

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Willey, Iowa

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SERGEANT, U.S. ARMY, COMPANY M, 329TH INFANTRY, 83RD INFANTRY DIVISION. PLACE AND DATE: BIRGEL, GERMANY, DECEMBER 14, 1944. ENTERED AT GLIDDEN, IOWA. GO 77, SEPTEMBER 10, 1945. CITATION: 'HE WAS LEADER OF A MACHINE GUN SQUAD DEFENDING AN APPROACH TO THE VILLAGE OF BIRGEL, GERMANY, DECEMBER 14, 1944, WHEN AN ENEMY TANK, SUPPORTED BY 20 INFANTRYMEN, COUNTERATTACKED. HE HELD HIS FIRE UNTIL THE GERMANS WERE WITHIN 100 YARDS AND THEN RAKED THE FOOT SOLDIERS BESIDE THE TANK KILLING SEVERAL OF THEM. THE ENEMY ARMOR CONTINUED TO PRESS FORWARD AND, AT THE POINTBLANK RANGE OF 30 YARDS, FIRED A HIGH VELOCITY SHELL INTO THE AMERICAN EMPLACEMENT, WOUNDING THE ENTIRE SQUAD. HE, BLOWN 10 YARDS FROM HIS GUN, HAD 1 LEG SEVERED BELOW THE KNEE AND SUFFERED OTHER WOUNDS. DESPITE HIS INJURIES AND THE DANGER FROM THE ONRUSHING TANK AND INFANTRY, HE DRAGGED HIMSELF BACK TO HIS POSITION ON HIS ELBOWS, REMOUNTED HIS GUN AND KILLED THE REMAINING ENEMY RIFLEMEN. STRIPPED OF ITS INFANTRY PROTECTION, THE TANK WAS FORCED TO WITHDRAW. BY HIS SUPERB COURAGE AND INDOMITABLE FIGHTING SPIRIT, HE INFLICTED HEAVY CASUALTIES ON THE ENEMY AND BROKE A DETERMINED COUNTERATTACK.'