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 Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Leroy G. Cronkhite, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 308th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Binarville, France, 28 September 1918. In the face of heavy machine-gun fire, Lieutenant Cronkhite went forward to within hand grenade range of the enemy lines and brought back to shelter a soldier who had been severely wounded. Later in the day he went out alone and located a dangerous machine-gun nest which was thereupon destroyed. Although wounded, Lieutenant Cronkhite refused to be evacuated until 1 October when he was ordered to the hospital by the battalion commander.