Medal of Honor: Jacob Volz, Philippine Insurrection, September 24, 1911
When a scout party was cut down in an ambush on Basilan, Carpenter’s Mate Third Class Jacob Volz rushed to their aid. With his rifle blazing, he cut down several Moros and helped drive off the rest, ensuring the survival of his comrades.
September 24, 2025
Name: Jacob Volz
Rank: Carpenter’s Mate Third Class, U.S. Navy
War: Philippine Insurrection
Date of Action: September 24, 1911
Unit: USS Pampanga (shore party)
Place: Mundang, Basilan, Philippine Islands
Born: 1889, Sutton, Nebraska
Summary of Action
On September 24, 1911, sailors and Philippine Scouts from the USS Pampanga moved to seize the Moro stronghold of Mundang on Basilan. As the advance scouts probed a cluster of nipa huts, they were suddenly struck by point-blank fire and rushed by about twenty Moros. Nearly every member of the scout party was hit, writhing on the ground but still struggling to fight back.
At that moment, Jacob Volz responded to their cries for help. Charging into the kill zone under heavy fire, he opened up with his rifle, firing with deadly accuracy. Several of the attackers fell beneath his shots. The rest broke and scattered, their ambush shattered.
By his fearless charge, Volz not only saved the pinned scouts but contributed directly to the rout of the enemy. His courage under fire proved decisive in the brutal close-quarters fight at Mundang.
Official Medal of Honor Citation
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.
