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 Sous-Lieutenant Joseph M. Jourden, Army of France, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy in enemy-occupied France, from 24 June 1944 to 5 August 1944. Sous-Lieutenant Jourden, with a teammate, landed on a beach of northern Brittany, crossed a mine field, and walked many miles carrying radio equipment before he could find cover. As a radio operator of an intelligence team, he lived clandestinely for a period of six weeks in a part of France where German controls were particularly severe. He conscientiously and skillfully transmitted intelligence regarding enemy strength, mine fields, coastal batteries, mined waters, changes in the coastal channels, and the identification of enemy parachute units, which was of great value to the United States forces in their Brittany campaign. During the liberation of the Ministere region, he was taken prisoner by a German unit and tortured for four hours. Sous-Lieutenant Jourden courageously played a heroic part in the liberation of western France.