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 Sergeant Francis A. Bean (ASN: 1209669), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company A, 107th Infantry Regiment, 27th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near St. Souplet, France, 18 October 1918. His company having been stopped by heavy enemy machine-gun fire, Sergeant Bean and two other soldiers worked their way into the enemy position, putting out of action two hostile machine guns. They then proceeded toward a dugout nearby under heavy fire and, upon encountering a German in the act of throwing a grenade at them, Sergeant Bean shot him. Reaching the entrance to the dugout, they forced the surrender of the occupants, who numbered thirty-five, including three officers.