Matej Kocak

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Matej Kocak

Matej Kocak (born December 31, 1882 in Egbell , Austria-Hungary ; died October 4, 1918 near Reims , France ) was a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps . During his service, he was awarded the Medal of Honor twice for the same act .

Life

Matej Kocak was born in Egbell in what was then Austria-Hungary (now Gbely , Slovakia ) in 1882 . In 1906 he emigrated to the USA . There he joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC) in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania in 1907 . He spent his further service time in Vera Cruz , Mexico and in Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic . After the US entered the First World War , he served in France and took part in the fighting.

On July 18, 1918, his unit took part in combat operations in the Villers-Cotterêts area. The advance of his unit was caught under fire from a hidden machine gun nest in the course of the battle and prevented from proceeding. Sergeant Kocak attacked the position without support fire and was finally able to take it out. In addition, on the same day he succeeded in reorganizing dispersed French soldiers and in a similar manner to eliminate another machine gun nest.

For these acts he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor of the US Army and the Medal of Honor of the US Navy . Matej Kocak was killed before the award ceremony as part of the Meuse-Argonne offensive on October 4, 1918.

He was buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial near Romagne-sous-Montfaucon , France.

Honors

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Award text of the Medal of Honor to Matej Kocak www.homeofheroes.com, accessed on January 14, 2016.
  2. ↑ Background to Matej Kocak on the website of the USMC History Division ( Memento of the original from January 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. www.mcu.usmc.mil, accessed January 14, 2016. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.mcu.usmc.mil
  3. ↑ The USNS SGT Matej Kocak on the MSC website www.msc.navy.mil, accessed on January 14, 2016.
personal data
SURNAME Kocak, Matej
BRIEF DESCRIPTION USMC soldier, two-time Medal of Honor holder
DATE OF BIRTH December 31, 1882
PLACE OF BIRTH Egbell , Austria-Hungary
DATE OF DEATH October 4, 1918
Place of death near Reims , France