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 Claude Vernon Hart (ASN: 102473), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company M, 168th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Sergy, France, 28 July 1918. Sergeant Hart coolly and with utter disregard of danger led his platoon against enemy machine-gun emplacements. Four of the foe were captured, together with their two machine-guns, which he turned and operated on the retreating Germans until he was severely wounded.