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 Second Lieutenant (Infantry) James Brown, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 104th Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Ville-devant-Chaumont, France, 10 November 1918. In command of the 2d Battalion of his regiment and directed to take the town of Ville-devant-Chaumont, Lieutenant Brown led his battalion in person, and by a process of slow infiltration successfully carried out his mission. His entire disregard for his own safety, his coolness under heavy enemy fire, and his gallant leadership proving an inspiration to his men, enabling them in the face of concentrated machine-gun fire to take the town, making possible the advance of the troops of his division on both sides.