The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain (Infantry) John Alexander Humbird, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 102d Machine-Gun Battalion, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, at Marcheville, France, 26 September 1918. Captain Humbird displayed indomitable courage and leadership on numerous occasions during this engagement. Leading a small group of men through barbed-wire entanglements in the face of machine-gun fire and hand grenades, he cleaned out a trench, capturing a strong enemy machine-gun emplacement and its entire crew. When the town of Marcheville fell into our hands he organized a machine-gun position under heavy machine-gun fire, locating a position for anti-aircraft guns, during which time hostile planes were flying low and firing upon our troops. After the recapture of Marcheville by the enemy, he led his platoon in the counterattack.