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 Samuel Aston Loyd (ASN: 1289500), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company L, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, north of Verdun, France, 15 and 23 October 1918. After being severely gassed, Sergeant Loyd continued to advance with his company, in spite of suffering great pain. On 23 October when his company was under heavy flanking fire from machine-guns, this soldier rescued several wounded men and administered first-aid treatment.