The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Captain (Infantry) William Joseph Keating, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 114th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Melleville Farm, north of Verdun, France, 27 October 1918. While he was in command of the machine-gun company of his regiment, and every available gunner had been killed or wounded, Captain Keating personally manned one of the guns and kept it in operation until killed.