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 First Lieutenant (Infantry) William Neil Jackson (ASN: 0-1324540), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces in Belgium, on 15 January 1945. When his platoon was halted by intense enemy machine gun, rocket, and small arms fire from a strongly fortified house, First Lieutenant Jackson, armed only with a pistol and two hand grenades, moved across open, fire-swept terrain toward the hostile position. Firing his pistol as he ran forward, he killed the enemy machine gunners. Upon reaching the house, he rolled his grenades into the stovepipe protruding from the cellar, then rushed to the front door and captured the Germans forced out by the blast. By his daring courage in the face of murderous fire, First Lieutenant Jackson reduced the hostile emplacement, captured fifteen enemy soldiers, and enabled his platoon to continue to its objective. By his outstanding leadership and heroic effort, First Lieutenant Jackson acted in keeping with the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.