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 (Field Artillery) Melvin Morton Spruiell (ASN: 0-338619), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism from 10 to 11 June 1944, during an attack against an enemy position in the vicinity of Carentan, France. As a Forward Artillery Observer with the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, First Lieutenant Spruiell was at bridge number four with the lead platoon of Company G, 3d Battalion, 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment, to relay fire ranging to his artillery battalion by means of radio. The company was attempting to cross the causeway over the Douve River, bypass Carentan and seize Hill 30 along the railway west of the city. However, the bridge was blocked causing the platoon to maneuver single-file around the obstructions. The enemy opened fire from a nearby farmhouse and hedgerow stopping the platoon’s movement altogether. When his radio became inoperable, First Lieutenant Spruiell exposed himself to the withering enemy fire in order to locate an operable radio on the bridge. Once locating an operable radio within Company G, he resumed calling out accurate fire in order to suppress and dislodge the enemy from their embedded defensive positions. Without this crucial fire support, Company G would not have lasted until the cover of darkness when they were able to advance around the bridge obstruction. On 11 June, First Lieutenant Spruiell, unable to contact his battalion and recognizing he could no longer serve effectively as a Forward Artillery Observer, volunteered to act instead as an infantryman. While leading a charge across an open field towards the farmhouse and hedgerow where the enemy had repositioned its machine gun nests to escape the artillery fire from the previous day, First Lieutenant Spruiell was killed. His actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 101st Airborne Division and the Army of the United States.