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 Corporal Michael O’Connell (ASN: 60376), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company D, 101st Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Epieds, France, 23 July 1918. Corporal O’Connell, Sergeant Simeon L. Nickerson, and Private Thomas Ryan volunteered to cross an open field in front of their company in order to ascertain the location of enemy machine-guns. While engaged in this courageous enterprise they were shot and killed. The heroic self-sacrifice of these three men saved the lives of many of their comrades, who would have been killed had the company attempted to make the advance as a whole.