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 Private First Class Leonard Clark St. James, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company I, 125th Infantry Regiment, 32d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Romagne, France, 9 October 1918. Private St. James repeatedly crossed an open area 500 meters wide under intense machine-gun fire in carrying messages to battalion headquarters. On one of his trips he came upon a wounded soldier, whom he took to the aid station, after administering first aid to him.