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 Major (Infantry) Edmund Clivious Waddill, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Chateau-Thierry, France, 6, 7, and 25 June 7; and near Soissons, France, 18 July 1918. During the attack by his battalion near Chateau-Thierry Major Waddill displayed exceptional bravery by advancing in the open under intense shell and machine-gun fire, reorganizing his leading echelons and pressing the attack with the utmost disregard for personal danger. On 25 June he went among his troops during a heavy gas attack, disregarding his own danger, in order to protect his men, remaining in the sector and refusing to be evacuated until he had been so badly burned by gas that his face was black. In the Soissons-Reims attack he again displayed marked courage and leadership in personally taking the lead with his battalion and pushing forward the attack until further advance was stopped by darkness.