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 Corporal William J. Earle (ASN: 39077), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company E, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Medeah Ferme, France, 8 October 1918. When his company had been held up by a machine-gun nest Corporal Earle advanced on the nest from the flank and captured it single-handed.