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 Andrew James Padgett (ASN: 1309841), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company M, 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Montbrehain, France, 7 October 1918. Taking command of his platoon after its commander had been seriously wounded, Sergeant Padgett led it with remarkable daring through heavy machine-gun fire and captured sis machine-gun nests. Wounded by a machine-gun bullet, Sergeant Padgett continued on to the objective, using his rifle as a crutch, and directed the consolidation of the new position.