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 Corporal John C. Austin (ASN: 98724), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 167th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Landres et St. Georges, France, 16 October 1918. Corporal Austin volunteered and crawled forward more than 50 yards in the open under heavy rifle, machine-gun and shell fire, from the enemy, in order to observe the fire effect of a Stokes Mortar. He returned with valuable information, which assisted in breaking up a hostile counterattack. A few minutes later, with another soldier, he went to the assistance of a comrade, who had fallen wounded in an open field 50 yards away, and carried him to shelter under heavy enemy machine-gun fire.