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 Fred Connette (ASN: 262518), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company F, 125th Infantry Regiment, 32d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near the Bois-les-Jomblets, northeast of Chateau-Thierry, France, 31 July 1918. While advancing with the first wave under heavy machine-gun fire and artillery barrage, Private Connette was severely wounded. Knowing there was a machine gun nest directly in front of him, which was decimating the company by its fire, he disregarded his injuries, went forward, and killed the machine gunner and captured the machine gun.