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 Corporal Hiram Franklin Walter (ASN: 1491368), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company E, 142d Infantry Regiment, 36th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near St. Etienne, France, 8 October 1918. Corporal Walter volunteered to lead a patrol for the purpose of locating and silencing an enemy machine-gun nest which was holding up the advance. Before reaching the nest all his men had been killed or wounded, but Corporal Walter continued on alone to within a short distance of the nest, ascertained its position, and reported its location so accurately that it was soon silenced.