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 Fred William Tompkins (ASN: 549165), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Machine-Gun Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Jaulgonne, France, 23 July 1918. Sergeant Tompkins, while leading his machine-gun section in an attack, exposed himself to heavy artillery and machine-gun fire and alone advanced in front of our lines in order to select machine-gun positions. Later he was mortally wounded while exposing himself in order to direct his men to cover.