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 Sergeant George Benjamin Gourley (ASN: 138726), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company E, 131st Infantry Regiment, 33d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, at Chipilly Ridge, France, 10 August 1918. Sergeant Gourley displayed qualities of leadership by taking command of his platoon and continuing the advance when his platoon commander had been killed. With one other soldier he fearlessly attacked an enemy machine-gun nest, capturing the gun and killing the crew. He then carried the captured gun with him and used it effectively against the enemy.