Jacob Volz, Jr.
Jacob Volz Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Moro Rebellion in the Philippines.
Volz was born in the Volga German colony of Balzer, Russia, on June 23, 1889, the eldest of seven children.
Volz was born in the Volga German colony of Balzer, Russia, on June 23, 1889, the eldest of seven children.
Photograph of Jacob Volz Jr. wearing his Medal of Honor. Courtesy of Dan Volz.
The Volz family emigrated to the United States on November 16, 1891, settling in Sutton, Nebraska. Jacob's father, Jacob Volz, Sr., was one of three representatives of the Volga Relief Society sent to Russia during the famine of 1921-1923. The senior Volz served with another Volga Relief Society representative, George Repp, from Portland.
Jacob Volz, Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1908, attached to the USS Pampanga. He served as a Carpenter's Mate Third Class.
The Jacob Volz Medal of Honor citation reads:
Jacob Volz, Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1908, attached to the USS Pampanga. He served as a Carpenter's Mate Third Class.
The Jacob Volz Medal of Honor citation reads:
"While attached to the U.S.S. Pampanga, Volz was one of a shore party moving in to capture Mundang, on the island of Basilan, Philippine Islands, on 24 September 1911. Investigating a group of nipa huts close to the trail, the advance scout party was suddenly taken under point-blank fire and rushed by approximately 20 enemy Moros attacking from inside the huts and other concealed positions. Volz responded instantly to calls for help and, finding all members of the scout party writhing on the ground but still fighting, he blazed his rifle into the outlaws with telling effect, destroying several of the Moros and assisting in the rout of the remainder. By his aggressive charging of the enemy under heavy fire and in the face of great odds, Volz contributed materially to the success of the engagement."
After the war, Volz married Mattie Alice McCarty in Lewiston, Montana, in 1914. They had two children, Charles Jacob and Shirley Ann. Volz homesteaded a ranch in Montana for some time and then returned to Nebraska to work as a carpenter.
In 1924, the Volz family moved to Portland, Oregon, where Jacob worked on constructing the Bonneville Dam. At the time of his retirement, he worked for the Portland Housing Authority.
Jacob Volz died in Portland on July 22, 1965. His grave at the Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery is modest and does not mention the medal.
Volz is listed as an eligible member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
Oregon's Medal of Honor Memorial recognizes Oregon's military members who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor, given to those who showed exceptional gallantry in battle. Jacob Volz, Jr. is one of those honored.
In 1924, the Volz family moved to Portland, Oregon, where Jacob worked on constructing the Bonneville Dam. At the time of his retirement, he worked for the Portland Housing Authority.
Jacob Volz died in Portland on July 22, 1965. His grave at the Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery is modest and does not mention the medal.
Volz is listed as an eligible member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
Oregon's Medal of Honor Memorial recognizes Oregon's military members who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor, given to those who showed exceptional gallantry in battle. Jacob Volz, Jr. is one of those honored.
Oregon Medal of Honor Memorial in Salem, Oregon
Sources
Letter from Senator Theodore C. Wenzlaff, a Nebraska State Senator, written on January 16, 1970 and printed in the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Workpaper No. 3.
U.S. Army Center of Military History website. http://www.history.army.mil/moh/aapo1911.html#VOLZ (Accessed October 2018)
Wikipedia.org
U.S. Army Center of Military History website. http://www.history.army.mil/moh/aapo1911.html#VOLZ (Accessed October 2018)
Wikipedia.org
Last updated October 23, 2023