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 Joseph France Brown (ASN: 1678312), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company K, 306th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near the Forest of Argonne, France, 27 September 1918. During an attack on the trenches held by his company, Private Brown found an automatic rifle, which had been abandoned by a wounded soldier. Though he was unfamiliar with the operation of the weapon, Private Brown opened fire on the enemy with it, killing two of them and thereby making possible the escape of three of his comrades, who had been captured by the enemy. The remainder of the hostile force was driven off.