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 Lester Brown (ASN: 737186), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company M, 11th Infantry Regiment, 5th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Joully, France, 10 November 1918. After a small patrol had failed to silence a machine gun, Private Brown rushed forward with an automatic rifle, through a heavy machine-gun fire, and was wounded.