FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Alton W. Knappenberger ~ October 12, 2026

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | Kathy In Alaska

[luvie]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Alton W. Knappenberger

Info from here.

           

Alton Knappenberger (Dec 31, 1923 - June 9, 2008) was working on a Pennsylvania pig farm when he was drafted in 1943 at the age of nineteen. He landed at Anzio, on the Italian coast, on January 22, 1944, as part of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, and although he did not know it at the time, he was about to become engaged in one of the toughest combat actions of World War II. “Knappie,” as his friends called him, was surprised by how little resistance the Germans initially offered. But as his unit slowly pushed inland over the next few days, he could sense that the enemy was regrouping. It rained constantly. He never forgot the mud; it was so thick and viscous that he worried it might suck off his boots.

On February 1, as Private First Class Knappenberger’s battalion neared the small town of Cisterna di Littoria, the Germans launched a strong counterattack with tanks and artillery that nearly overwhelmed the U.S. force. It was the Germans’ intent to push the Americans into the sea. With American soldiers taking heavy casualties all around him, Knappenberger crawled to a rise so that he could see the enemy. A German machine gun about eighty yards away opened fire, its slugs hitting right in front of Knappenberger and kicking mud into his face. He scrambled to a Browning Automatic Rifle lying beside one of his dead comrades, stood up, and aimed a burst at the machine gun, killing the three Germans operating it. Two Germans crawled to a point within twenty yards of Knappenberger’s knoll and threw potato masher grenades at him. Knappenberger wheeled and killed them both with one burst from his automatic rifle.

He was moving forward when a second German machine gun opened fire from a range of a hundred yards. Knappenberger silenced it with the BAR. Shortly afterward, a German 20 mm antiaircraft gun directed fire at his unit. He took out the German position with his BAR. For the next two hours, Knappenberger single-handedly held off the enemy infantry, which was threatening the efforts of the U.S. force to organize a defense. When he ran low on ammunition, he crawled through heavy fire to the body of another fallen American and grabbed clips from his pack. He resumed firing and repelled a German platoon armed with automatic weapons. Despite heavy fire, shells bursting within fifteen yards of him, he held his precarious position while continuing to fire at the enemy. Finally, his ammunition supply completely exhausted, he rejoined his company, having disrupted the enemy attack for more than two hours. Only six men out of his company of two hundred had not been killed or wounded.

Over the next few weeks, the breakout from Anzio stalled and developed into a stalemate between Allied and German forces as each regrouped. Knappenberger was in a foxhole not far from where the February action had occurred when he was informed that he was to receive the Medal of Honor. It was presented to him on June 8, 1944, by General Mark Clark, commander of the 5th Army, with American troops looking on and the regimental band playing. Soon therafter, Knappenberger was sent home and traveled around the country telling his story as part of a war bond drive. After the war, he returned home to Pennsylvania and worked as a truck driver and supervisor of an asphalting crew.

The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress
takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor

to

    KNAPPENBERGER, ALTON W.

    Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 3d Infantry Division.
    Place and date: Near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy, 1 February 1944.
    Entered service at: Spring Mount, Pa.
    Birth: Cooperstown, Pa. G.O. No.: 41, 26 May 1944.

    Citation:

    For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict with the enemy, on 1 February 1944 near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy. When a heavy German counterattack was launched against his battalion, Pfc. Knappenberger crawled to an exposed knoll and went into position with his automatic rifle. An enemy machinegun 85 yards away opened fire, and bullets struck within 6 inches of him. Rising to a kneeling position, Pfc. Knappenberger opened fire on the hostile crew, knocked out the gun, killed 2 members of the crew, and wounded the third. While he fired at this hostile position, 2 Germans crawled to a point within 20 yards of the knoll and threw potato-masher grenades at him, but Pfc. Knappenberger killed them both with 1 burst from his automatic rifle. Later, a second machinegun opened fire upon his exposed position from a distance of 100 yards, and this weapon also was silenced by his well-aimed shots. Shortly thereafter, an enemy 20mm. antiaircraft gun directed fire at him, and again Pfc. Knappenberger returned fire to wound 1 member of the hostile crew. Under tank and artillery shellfire, with shells bursting within 15 yards of him, he held his precarious position and fired at all enemy infantrymen armed with machine pistols and machineguns which he could locate. When his ammunition supply became exhausted, he crawled 15 yards forward through steady machinegun fire, removed rifle clips from the belt of a casualty, returned to his position and resumed firing to repel an assaulting German platoon armed with automatic weapons. Finally, his ammunition supply being completely exhausted, he rejoined his company. Pfc. Knappenberger's intrepid action disrupted the enemy attack for over 2 hours.

Lots more to read about this hero here.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

---

TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: canteen; heroes; military; troopsupport

[luvie]

Posting for Kathy tonight. 💜

[luvie]

~ Hall of Heroes: Alton W Knappenberger ~

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[PROCON]

Thanks for honoring this worthy Hero tonight!

[luvie]

#1...PRO!!
Thank YOU for honoring him, too!

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

THANK YOU
for your service!

[luvie]

#2...radu!!
Hope you had a prettier day!

[radu]

Howdy, luvie.

The day started out ugly - - cloudy with misty drizzle on and off, but around 5:00, the back edge of the cloud bank moved across and the sky was clear as a bell. A nice week ahead.

How was it down your way?

[luvie]

Cloudy and drizzly doesn’t sound ugly to me. LOL! At least the drizzle and clouds helped with the rain situation. It didn’t evaporate, or at least not as fast. Is it going to be nice for being in the tent this week?

It was very nice here. It turned out a bit too warm at 87°, but still not hot-hot, so that’s a plus. We’re supposed to get some rain this week and much lower temps, and I think we’re all looking forward to that.

[luvie]

Alton W. Knappenberger
Dec 31, 1923 - June 9, 2008
Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, Anzio
Medal of Honor Recipient
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity
at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty
in action involving actual conflict with the enemy,
on 1 February 1944 near Cisterna di Littoria, Italy.
What a courageous hero he was!!

[radu]

Yeah, we can use the moisture but it was still ugly. The rest of the week will be gorgeous. Wed. is going to be a bit toasty but the rest of the week will be comfy. Next week will cool off again.

Except for tomorrow’s and Tuesday’s heat, your week looks pretty good. Rain in the forecast for four days. You don’t see that often.

[luvie]

True, we hardly ever have more than a day or two in a row with rain forcast, but when we have had, the chances all seem to disappear when the time comes. Very annoying. LOL!

Glad you’re going to have a pretty week. Hope you have a chance to enjoy it.

[radu]

I wonder id Hurricane Simon will have something to do with your rain this week. It’s about to move up through Mexico.

I’ll be outside plenty this week, what with early voting starting.

[luvie]

I was wondering the same thing myself. Wherever it’s coming from, let it come!

I wonder if our early voting starts this week. I need to find out so we don’t miss out. I hate voting on the day of. It’s just way too crowded.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country and thanks Luvie for filling for Kathy this morning.

Yesterday at Comanche Lake:

How's everyone doing this morning?

[luvie]

#3....EGC!
Looks like y'all had fun at the lake!

[radu]

There’s a system in the NW and maybe Simon will move up in time to hook up with it. That would give you a nice shot at rain.

Just looked it up and your early voting starts the 19th.

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C. ((HUGZ))

Gizmo did his best to wear out the soles of your shoes yesterday at Comanche Lake. :-)

[luvie]

Thank you. I tried our local newspaper online and they had zip. Then I forgot about it, because I saw that the daughter of old friends had died.

I guess I’d better go when I’ve finished up. See ya tomorrow!

[radu]

I found the info on the TX SoS web site. Here, I get the info on our country election commission’s site. Our early voting is going to run entirely too long.

Sorry to hear the news about your friends’ daughter.

I wish the air wasn’t so crummy outside. If I step out for just a minute, I sneeze for a half hour afterwards. It’s REALLY foggy tonight and I love walking around in fog.

Enjoy sleeping late tomorrow. :-)

[jimfree]

Just wow! And what a great ad for Browning.