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 Corporal James E. Brown (ASN: 69546), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company M, 103d Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Torcy and Belleau, France, July 18 – 20, 1918. Corporal Brown displayed exceptional bravery as a member of a patrol of six men, which entered Belleau from the rear and captured four prisoners. He also worked untiringly in the evacuation of wounded at Torcy in the face of constant and intense shell fire. Later, when his platoon commander and most of the commissioned officers had been incapacitated, Corporal Brown took command of his platoon and skillfully led it in the advance, keeping his command together under heavy shell and machine-gun fire until he was struck four times.