Sergeant Ralph George Neppel, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on December 14, 1944 in Birgel, Germany during World War II. At the time he was serving with Company M, 329th Infantry, 83d Infantry Division. Neppel was 21 years old.
2 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on August 23, 1945.
Neppel was born on October 31, 1923 in Willey, Carroll County, Iowa. His Medal of Honor is credited to Glidden, Carroll County, Iowa. Neppel died on January 27, 1987 in Iowa City, Iowa, at the age of 63. He is buried at Holy Family Cemetery in Lidderdale, Iowa.
Neppel is one of 474 Medal of Honor recipients from World War II and one of 55 credited to Iowa.
Official Medal of Honor citation
He was a leader of a machine-gun squad defending an approach to the village of Birgel, Germany, on 14 December 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 point-blank range of 30 yards, fired a high-velocity shell into the American emplacement, wounding the entire squad. Sgt. Neppel, blown 10 yards from his gun, had one 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, Sgt. Neppel inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy and broke a determined counterattack.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
Sgt. Neppel, blown 10 yards from his gun, had one 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.
- Manner of death: natural causes
- Cause of death: liver cancer
- Age at death: 63
- Resting place: Holy Family Cemetery
Cause and manner of death: Wikidata.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: World War II.
Places
Timeline
- October 31, 1923Born in Willey, Carroll County, Iowa
- December 14, 1944Act of valor — Birgel, GermanyAge 21. Company M, 329th Infantry, 83d Infantry Division
- August 23, 1945Medal of Honor presented
- January 27, 1987Died in Iowa City, IowaAge 63.
- Resting placeHoly Family CemeteryLidderdale, Iowa
Biography
Ralph George Neppel (October 31, 1923 – January 27, 1987) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II shortly before the Battle of the Bulge.
From the Wikipedia article “Ralph G. Neppel”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
