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 Sergeant Martin E. Gardner (ASN: 1900435), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company A, 326th Infantry Regiment, 82d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near St. Juvin, France, 15 October 1918. After his commanding officer had been severely wounded, Sergeant Gardner took command of the detachment, and although severely wounded himself, he gallantly led his group in the attack against enemy machine-gun fire. At the conclusion of this successful attack, he was shot and killed by an enemy sniper.