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 W. Ayers (ASN: 1284342), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company C, 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Sivry, France, 18 October 1918. During several engagements in the vicinity of Sivry, Corporal Ayers, upon his own initiative, went forward and located enemy machine-gun nests. On another occasion, his platoon having lost connection with his company during a heavy enemy artillery fire, he reconnoitered the position and established liaison with his company.