Curtis F. Shoup
Encyclopedia
Curtis F. Shoup received the Medal of Honor
for acts of bravery near Tillet, Belgium
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
Entered service at: Buffalo, NY
Birth: Napenoch, N.Y.
Place and date: Near Tillet, Belgium, January 7, 1945.
G.O. No.: 60, July 25, 1945.
Citation:
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for acts of bravery near Tillet, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on January 7, 1945. He was a graduate of Oswego High School in Oswego, New York
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
. He is buried in North Scriba Union Cemetery in Scriba, New York
Scriba, New York
Scriba is a town in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 7,331 at the 2000 census. The town is named after landowner George Scriba.The Town of Scriba is east of the City of Oswego...
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
Medal of Honor citation
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 346th Infantry, 87th Infantry Division.Entered service at: Buffalo, NY
Birth: Napenoch, N.Y.
Place and date: Near Tillet, Belgium, January 7, 1945.
G.O. No.: 60, July 25, 1945.
Citation:
On January 7, 1945, near Tillet, Belgium, his company attacked German troops on rising ground. Intense hostile machinegun 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 machinegun 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 machinegun 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.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II