Jake Allex

Jake Allex Mandusich
Jake Allex Mandusich, Medal of Honor recipient
Born (1887-07-13)July 13, 1887
Prizren, Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Died August 28, 1959(1959-08-28) (aged 72)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Place of burial Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Saint Sava cemetery Libertyville, Illinois
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Rank Sergeant
Unit Company H, 131st Infantry, 33rd Infantry Division
Battles/wars Chipilly Ridge, World War I
Awards Medal of Honor

Aleksa Mandušić (Serbian Cyrillic: Алекса Мандушић), or Jake Allex Mandusich (July 13, 1887 – August 28, 1959), was a Serbian American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army during World War I.

Military service

Allex entered the U.S. Army in Chicago, Illinois, and returned there following World War I with the rank of Sergeant. While in the Army, he served in Company H, 131st Infantry, 33rd Infantry Division. On August 9, 1918, near Chippilly Ridge, France, when finding all of his officers either wounded or killed and his platoon under heavy attack from the opposing German forces Allex, a Corporal, took command. Leading his platoon forward toward the machine gun nest, his platoon was able to overwhelm the opposition. He alone killed five enemy soldiers. When his bayonet broke, he used the butt of his rifle in close-quarters combat taking fifteen German prisoners. Little is known about his life following the First World War.

He died August 28, 1959 in a Veterans Administration hospital in Chicago.[1] He was buried in the cemetery of the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Saint Sava in Libertyville, Illinois.[2]

Medal of Honor Citation

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company H, 131st Infantry, 33d Division. Place and date: At Chippilly Ridge, France, August 9, 1918. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: July 13, 1887, Prizren, Kosovo. General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 44 (April 2, 1919).[3]

Citation:

At a critical point in the action, when all the officers with his platoon had become casualties, Corporal. Allex took command of the platoon and led it forward until the advance was stopped by fire from a machinegun nest. He then advanced alone for about 30 yards in the face of intense fire and attacked the nest. With his bayonet he killed 5 of the enemy, and when it was broken, used the butt of his rifle, capturing 15 prisoners.[3][4]

Military Awards[5][6][7]

Allex's military decorations and awards include:

Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
1st row Medal of Honor
2nd row World War I Victory Medal w/three bronze service stars to denote credit for the Somme Offensive, Meuse-Argonne and Defensive Sector battle clasps. Distinguished Conduct Medal (Great Britain) Médaille militaire (French Republic)
3rd row Croix de guerre 1914–1918 w/bronze palm (French Republic) Croix de guerre w/ bronze palm (Belgium) Croce al Merito di Guerra (Italy)
4th row Medal for Military Bravery (Kingdom of Montenegro) Орден Карађорђеве звезде with swords Fourth Class (Kingdom of Serbia) Медаља Милоша Обилића in Gold (Kingdom of Serbia)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Time magazine, Monday, September 07, 1959.
  2. ↑ "Jake Allex". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  3. 1 2 Medal of Honor Recipients, 1863-2013. I, 1863-1978. U.S. Government Printing Office. 14 February 1979. p. 432. (subscription required)
  4. ↑ "World War I Medal of Honor Recipients". history.army.mil. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  5. ↑ Illinois in the World War (Volume III) - The History of the 33rd Division A.E.F. by Frederic Louis Huidekoper=1921. Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield. Illinois. pp. 498, 504–506, 509, 511. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  6. ↑ The 131st U.S. Infantry (First Infantry Illinois National Guard) in the World War by Colonel Joseph B. Sanborn=1919. Chicago, Illinois. pp. 261 and 275. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  7. ↑ The Brooklyn Daily Eagle=October 27, 1929. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 15. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
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