b. 13/07/1887 Streska, near Prizren, Kosovo (then Ottoman Empire) d. 28/08/1959 Chicago, Illinois.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 09/08/1918 Chippilly Ridge, France.
Aleksa “Jake Allex” Mandusich MOH
Aleksa Mandusich was born on 13th July 1887 in Streska, near Prizren, then in the Ottoman Empire, now modern day Kosovo. It is not entirely clear how Aleksa came to emigrate to the USA, or how he decided to change his name to Jake. He enlisted in the US Army in Chicago, Illinois under the name of Jake Allex Mandusich though was commonly known as Jake Allex. 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 their 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. Allex alone killed five enemy soldiers, and when his bayonet broke, he used the butt of his rifle in close quarters combat, taking fifteen German prisoners.
Jake was presented with his Medal of Honor by General John J. Persching in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg on 22nd April 1919. Little is known about his post World War I life though he did return to Chicago with the rank of Sergeant. Sergeant Aleksa “Jake Allex” Mandusich died on the 28th of August, 1959, at the age of 72 and is buried in the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Saint Sava in Libertyville, Illinois: Section B, Row 6, Lot 446.
MOH 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.
BURIAL LOCATION:
SERBIAN ORTHODOX MONASTERY OF SAINT SAVA CEMETERY, LIBERTYVILLE, ILLINOIS.
SECTION B, ROW 6 GRAVE 446
LOCATION OF MEDAL: FAMILY.
