The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Corps of Engineers) Frederick Mears, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. Colonel Mears served with distinction as Commanding Officer of the 31st Railway Engineers, and later as Assistant General Manager and General Manager of the Railway Department, Transportation Corps. Due to his remarkable executive ability and skill as an engineer, the railways of the American Expeditionary Forces were operated with rare success, and the huge transportation problem, involving the carrying of tremendous quantities of supplies from the base ports to the front, was satisfactorily solved.