Staff Sergeant Curtis F. Shoup was a soldier in the U.S. Army who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions on January 7, 1945 near Tillet, Belgium during World War II. At the time he was serving with Company I, 346th Infantry, 87th Infantry Division. Shoup was 23 years old.
Shoup was killed in the action for which his medal was awarded.
Shoup was born on January 11, 1921 in Napanoch, Ulster County, New York. His Medal of Honor is credited to Buffalo, Erie County, New York. He is buried at North Scriba Church Cemetery in Scriba, New York. His medal is held by National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center, Fort Benning, GA.
Shoup is one of 474 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and one of 678 credited to New York.
Official Medal of Honor citation
On 7 January 1945, near Tillet, Belgium, his company attacked German troops on rising ground. Intense hostile machine-gun fire pinned down and threatened to annihilate the American unit in an exposed position where frozen ground made it impossible to dig in for protection. Heavy mortar and artillery fire from enemy batteries was added to the storm of destruction falling on the Americans. Realizing that the machine gun must be silenced at all costs, S/Sgt. Shoup, armed with an automatic rifle, crawled to within 75 yards of the enemy emplacement. He found that his fire was ineffective from this position, and completely disregarding his own safety, stood up and grimly strode ahead into the murderous stream of bullets, firing his low-held weapon as he went. He was hit several times and finally was knocked to the ground. But he struggled to his feet and staggered forward until close enough to hurl a grenade, wiping out the enemy machine-gun nest with his dying action. By his heroism, fearless determination, and supreme sacrifice, S/Sgt. Shoup eliminated a hostile weapon which threatened to destroy his company and turned a desperate situation into victory.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and death in action
What the citation records about his wounds:
He was hit several times and finally was knocked to the ground.
- Killed in action during the act for which the medal was awarded (January 7, 1945).
- Age at death: 23
- Resting place: North Scriba Church Cemetery
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, Curtis F. Shoup received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War II.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →
Timeline
- January 11, 1921Born in Napanoch, Ulster County, New York
- January 7, 1945Act of valor — near Tillet, BelgiumAge 23. Company I, 346th Infantry, 87th Infantry Division Killed in action.
- Resting placeNorth Scriba Church CemeteryScriba, New York
Biography
Curtis F. Shoup (January 11, 1921 – January 7, 1945) was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for acts of bravery near Tillet in Belgium (now a deelgemeente of Sainte-Ode) on January 7, 1945. He was a graduate of Oswego High School in Oswego, New York. He is buried in North Scriba Union Cemetery in Scriba, New York and his grave can be found in Lot 290, which is in the 3rd row from the entrance driveway, 14th headstone from the public highway (North Road, also known as County Route 1). GPS coordinates: Datum WGS84, 43° 29' 18.9" N, 76° 23' 30.5" W Shoup joined the army from Buffalo, New York in August 1942.
From the Wikipedia article “Curtis F. Shoup”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
