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 Clifford Thompson (ASN: 93311), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company C, 166th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Sommerance, France, 23 October 1918. Seeing an ignited hand grenade in the midst of the platoon, Sergeant Thompson without hesitation, seized the grenade and attempted to throw it from the ditch. When leaving his hand the grenade exploded, seriously wounding him, but his act saved the lives of many of his men.