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 Richard Lawrence Townsend (ASN: 8602), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Section No. 554, Ambulance Service, American Expeditionary Forces, near Somme-Py, France, October 2 – 9, 1918. Private Townsend drove an ambulance night and day to an advanced dressing station under heavy shell fire. On the night of October 5 he voluntarily drove a machine to a place near the lines, over a road raked by machine-gun and shell fire, to evacuate a number of wounded whom the litter bearers were unable to bring in immediately.