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 Second Lieutenant (Armor) Harold James Ash (ASN: 9589), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company C, 345th Tank Battalion, Tank Corps, American Expeditionary Forces, near Bois-de-Montrebeau, France, 4 October 1918. Driving his tank in the face of a 77-mm. gun Lieutenant Ash, then sergeant, continued his mission, until his tank was destroyed. He remained with the tank until a machine-gun nest was destroyed, arid then accompanied the tank commander on foot through severe fire, killing two snipers with his pistol, while the commander was disabling machine and antitank guns, after which he returned to his lines.