The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Sergeant Robert E. Backstrom (ASN: 1386523), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company B, 131st Infantry Regiment, 33d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, at Chipilly Ridge, France, 10 August 1918. When the outpost along the sunken Bray Corbie Road was reputedly shelled and driven back by snipers, Sergeant Backstrom voluntarily went out alone, with utter disregard for his own safety, and held this position all day under heavy sniper and machine-gun fire and repeated shelling on his position.