Louis J. Van Schaick

Charging ahead to protect a detachment

Louis Joseph Van Schaick was born on 1 July 1875 in Cobleskill, New York. He served as a first lieutenant with the 4th United States Infantry in the Philippines.

On 23 November 1901 near Nasugbu, Batangas, Van Schaick emerged first from a canyon during a pursuit. Seeing a column of insurgents, he feared they would attack his men as they came out one at a time. He rode forward and engaged the column, disrupting it until the rest of his detachment arrived.

President Woodrow Wilson presented Van Schaick with the Medal of Honor on 19 May 1913. He later attained the rank of colonel. He died on 14 February 1945 in the Philippines and is buried in Manila American Cemetery.

Medal of Honor citation

While in pursuit of a band of insurgents, was the first of his detachment to emerge from a canyon and, seeing a column of insurgents and fearing they might turn and dispatch his men as they emerged one by one from the canyon, galloped forward and closed with the insurgents, thereby throwing them into confusion until the arrival of others of the detachment.