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 Thomas V. Burns (ASN: 114861), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company E, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Vierzy, France, 18 July 1918. Private Burns fearlessly sprang to the assistance of a French officer and helped him, under fire, remove a wounded French soldier from a burning tank which had been struck by a shell. Afterwards, seeing a gap in the firing line, he collected four men, dashed forward and captured five machine guns, with which he held the line until the arrival of reinforcements. He then rejoined his platoon, where he rendered valuable service during the remainder of the battle.