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 Corporal George Lawson Keene (ASN: 58296), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company K, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Soissons, France, July 18 – 19, 1918. Corporal Keene, then acting sergeant, rendered splendid assistance to his commanding officer in helping him to organize and lead a group of American and French Colonial soldiers against an enemy strong point located in a rock quarry on high ground. During the attack, Corporal Keene was in command of the troops on the right flank, and in storming the position, he rushed forward at the head of his men, hurled a hand grenade in the trenches, subdued one of the most difficult posts of the enemy position and personally captured an officer on whom was found important maps of the enemy positions. On the second day, Corporal Keene served in the capacity of an officer by commanding a company in the first wave of the attack formation and when his battalion commander became wounded he rendered valuable aid in assisting in maintaining control of formations until the objective was reached.