On 14 December 1944, near the town of Birgel, Germany, Sgt. Ralph G. Neppel and the men from Company M, 329th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division were counter-attacked by an enemy tank, supported by 20 infantrymen.
Sgt. Neppel held his fire until the Germans were within 100 yards of his position and then began firing towards 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 his entire squad. Sgt. Neppel, blown 10 yards from his gun, had 1 leg severed below the knee and the other one blown to shreds.. 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. One man saved the company and the village -- at the cost of both legs.
For his actions, Sgt. Neppel was awarded the Medal of Honor.
The photo captures Sgt. Neppel and his girlfriend, which he left behind during the war, at the ceremony. They got married and spent the rest of their lives together. He learned to walk on artificial legs. He learned to golf on artificial legs. He even learned to play baseball on artificial legs. Neppel used his GI Bill benefits to get an education and a college degree. In 1964, he began working for the Iowa Va and also became an advocate for increased handicapped access and rights. He realized that just because he adjusted to a life with prosthetic limbs, not everyone does, and that people in wheelchairs need to be able to use public accommodations.
When people called him a hero, he would disagree, saying, "The heroes don't live." He passed away in 1987, at the age of 63. #badass #ww2 #zerofoxtrot #zerolifer #stayzero #military