The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Captain (Infantry) Marcellus Holms Chiles, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 3 November 1918, while serving with Company A, 356th Infantry, 89th Division, in action at Le Champy Bas, France. When his battalion, of which he had just taken command, was halted by machinegun fire from the front and left flank, Captain Chiles picked up the rifle of a dead soldier and, calling on his men to follow led the advance across a stream, waist deep, in the face of the machinegun fire. Upon reaching the opposite bank this gallant officer was seriously wounded in the abdomen by a sniper, but before permitting himself to be evacuated he made complete arrangements for turning over his command to the next senior officer, and under the inspiration of his fearless leadership his battalion reached its objective. Captain Chiles died shortly after reaching the hospital.