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 Private Theodore Pistikoudis (ASN: 107720), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company C, 5th Machine-Gun Battalion, 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Chateau-Thierry, France, 6 June 1918. When three infantry men were buried by a shell explosion Private Pistikoudis fearlessly left shelter in face of heavy shelling and rescued them.