Jacob Volz, Jr., was a Carpenter's Mate Third Class in the United States Navy. He 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 on 23 June 1889, the eldest of seven children. His father was Jacob Volz, Sr. who was a key leader in the Volga Relief Society. The family left for the United States on 16 November 1891, arriving in New York City on 15 December 1891 aboard the SS Dania. They settled in Sutton, Nebraska.
Volz enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1908 and was attached to the USS Pampanga serving as a Carpenter's Mate Third Class during the Philippine-American War.
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 in the construction of the Bonneville Dam. At the time of his retirement, he worked for the Portland Housing Authority.
Jacob Volz died in Portland on 22 July 1965 and is buried at the Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery. Volz is listed in the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
Jacob Volz Jr. - Metal of Honor Recipient (Volga Germans in Portland - Steve Schreiber)
Jacob Volz (Wikipedia)