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 First Lieutenant (Corps of Engineers) Ross H. Boas, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 1st Engineers, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Soissons, France, 19 July 1918. After being wounded, Lieutenant Boas continued to lead two platoons of engineers, acting as infantry in the protection of the flank of the brigade, for three days, exposed to terrific machine-gun and artillery fire throughout the attack, during which time more than two-thirds of his detachment were lost.