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 Private Robert Martin Keirs (ASN: 554695), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company A, 9th Machine-Gun Battalion, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Moulins, France, 15 July 1918. During the strong enemy attack, Private Kiers made a daylight reconnaissance under enemy machine-gun and artillery fire to locate the positions reached by the enemy in their advance across the Marne. He located accurately the enemy line, and the information he secured was of the greatest value to his platoon commander. Later he carried messages, under machine gun fire, to our artillery.