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 Captain (Armor) Dean McGrew Gilfillan, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 345th Tank Battalion, Tank Corps, American Expeditionary Forces, near Varennes, France, 26 October 1918. Captain Gilfillan destroyed two machine-guns and inflicted heavy losses on a column of German infantry after his tank had been set on fire by two direct hits by enemy artillery and he himself wounded by machine-gun fire. He left his tank only when explosion was imminent, was wounded a second time by shell fragments, but remained at his post until he had turned over his command to another officer.