Jake Allex

Infobox Military Person
name= Jake Allex Mandusich
born= Birth date|1887|7|13
died= death date and age|1959|8|28|1887|7|13
placeofbirth= Prizren, Serbia
placeofdeath= Chicago, Illinois
placeofburial=


caption= Jake Allex Mandusich, Medal of Honor recipient
nickname=
allegiance=flag|United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears=
rank= Sergeant
commands=
unit= Company H, 131st Infantry, 33rd Infantry Division
battles= Chipilly Ridge, World War I
awards= Medal of Honor
laterwork=

Jake Allex, born Jake Allex Mandusich (Serbian: Алекса Мандушић) in Prizren, Serbia (July 13, 1887–August 28, 1959) was an American soldier of ethnic Serbian descent who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army during World War I.

Military service

Allex entered the US Army in Chicago, Illinois, and returned there following the 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 Chipilly 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.

Little is known about his life following the First World War.

He died August 28, 1959 in a Veterans Administration hospital in Chicago. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,825946,00.html Time magazine, Monday, Sep. 07, 1959] .] He was buried in Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Saint Sava cemetery in Libertyville, Illinois. [findagrave|6532182 Retrieved on 2007-10-24]

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company H, 131st Infantry, 33d Division. Place and date: At Chipilly Ridge, France, August 9, 1918. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: July 13, 1887, Prizren, Serbia. G.O. No.: 44, W.D., 1919.

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.

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War I

Notes

References

* [http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/worldwari.html|Medal of Honor]
* [http://serbiancathedral.org/Parish_Info/parish_info.html|Holy Serbian Orthadox]
* [http://www.usa-patriotism.com/heroes/moh/ww1_a-d.htm|USA Patriotism]
* [http://distantcousin.com/military/medalofhonor/wwi/1/002.html|Distant Cousin]
* [http://tdiumh.blogspot.com/2005/08/august-9.html|This day in US Military History]
* [http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/thegreatwar/articles/sourcesofinfo/luxbrochure.htm|Western Front Association]
* [http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/WWI/OfficialRecord.htm|Official Record]
* [http://www.medalofhonor.com/WorldWarIA-L.htm|Medal of Honor citation]

Persondata
NAME= Allex, Jake
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
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