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 Private Samuel M. Block (ASN: 1351878), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company A, 102d Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, at Marcheville, France, 26 September 1918. After several other runners had failed, Private Block volunteered and was successful in carrying a message through an intense machine-gun and artillery barrage.