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 Corporal William R. Ball (ASN: 2810709), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company G, 357th Infantry Regiment, 90th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Fey-en-Haye, France, September 9 – 17, 1918. Becoming separated from his patrol, Corporal Ball, with another soldier, attacked an enemy patrol and drove it off, though the number of their opponents was estimated at 50. He did excellent work with his platoon in the advance of September 12 north of Fey-en-Haye, in rushing machine-gun nests. On September 17 he was a member of an outpost attacked by a larger body of Germans. Though wounded, he remained at his post.