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 Lawrence E. Thompson (ASN: 42873), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company F, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Soissons, France, 19 July 1918. In order to ascertain the location of a machine-gun which was inflicting heavy losses upon his platoon, Corporal Thompson unhesitatingly went forward and was killed in the performance of this courageous duty.