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 First Lieutenant (Infantry) Joseph Simpson Ferguson, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company H, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Courmont, France, on 30 July 1918: As he was re-forming his platoon in a sunken road after a withdrawal, Lieutenant Ferguson went forward under enemy machine-gun and sniper fire and carried to shelter a severely wounded soldier.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Joseph Simpson Ferguson, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company H, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Varennes, France, 26 September 1918. Lieutenant Ferguson was engaged in “mopping up” the town, when he discovered a considerable force of the enemy coming from dugouts and taking up positions in the rear of the front line with machine-guns and anti-tank guns from which they fired upon the front line and almost immediately destroyed five tanks. Realizing at once the heavy casualties that might be caused to our troops and the impossibility of further advance by the front line, with this enemy force in its rear, Lieutenant Ferguson, on his own initiative, assembled a portion of his men, skillfully conducted them to a point on the eastern edge of the town, thence towards the west, and captured the entire enemy forces, consisting of about 20 officers and over 100 men, thus enabling the front line to continue its advance.