The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Infantry) William Hilaire Jutras, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 103d Infantry Regiment, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Riaville, France, 26 September 1918. When the platoon on the right flank of his company was threatened by an enfilading movement of enemy machine guns, Lieutenant Jutras carried a message to the commander of that platoon through deadly machinegun and minenwerfer bombardment. It then being necessary to establish liaison with the company on the right in order to save this platoon from annihilation, and knowing that he faced almost certain death, this gallant officer unhesitatingly volunteered for this mission and crossed a terrain swept by converging machinegun fire. Mortally wounded, he delivered his message in time to save his platoon.