By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Sergeant Harry E. McElwain (ASN: 543311), United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the World War I Victory Medals awarded him. While serving with the Medical Detachment and attached to the Machine Gun Company, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, on the morning of 11 October 1918, at Cunel France, Sergeant McElwain advanced under heavy artillery and machine gun fire attending to the wounded. He was suffering from a high fever and had been repeatedly advised to go to the rear by the Commanding Officer of the Machine Gun company and by the Platoon Commander. He continued his work, refusing to go to the hospital until two days later, when another Hospital Corps man relieved him. He volunteered to go over with the infantry and did go over with an advancing Battalion the afternoon of the same day. All of his work was done under heavy firing. His incessant devotion to the wounded, his ever readiness to volunteer for any mission where he felt that he might be of assistance, his utter disregard for personal safety, were an invaluable help to the fighting forces to which he was attached.

By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Sergeant Harry E. McElwain (ASN: 543311), United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the World War I Victory Medals awarded him. While serving with the Medical Detachment, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, on the north side of the Marne near Le Charmel, on 15 July 1918, Sergeant McElwain did, voluntarily and with absolute disregard for personal safety, go out some 1,000 yards through heavy shell fire to administer first aid to five wounded men. [A Distinguished Service Cross was awarded for this action.]