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 Captain (Infantry), [then First Lieutenant] William R. Bourdon, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 124th Machine-Gun Battalion, 33d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Bois-de-Forges, France, 26 September 1918. Captain Bourdon was advancing with his platoon, when it came under heavy enemy machine-gun fire from a small clump of woods. Ordering his men to take cover, he went forward alone, located the machine gun, and killed the gunner.