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 Sergeant Merl E. Clark (ASN: 100408), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company C, 168th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, at the Cote-de-Chatillon, east of Grand Pre, France, 16 October 1918. Sergeant Clark, after leading his platoon in a resolute assault across open ground swept by machine-gun fire, saw his left held up by machine-gun nest. Taking four soldiers, he flanked the enemy position, killed four Germans, capturing two prisoners, and two heavy machine guns, his own detachment suffering no casualties. Sergeant Clark executed this movement with exceptional skill, daring, and promptness, and in less than 10 minutes cleared the ground for the advance of two companies.