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 Mont Roy Keith (ASN: 58488), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company L, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Exermont, France, October 1 – 12, 1918. Private Keith voluntarily joined a patrol whose mission was to locate enemy machine guns and to secure such other information as might be of value to the attacking forces. The patrol penetrated the enemy’s lines to a distance of a kilometer, locating a large number of machine-gun nests. Cut off from their own troops without food for water for 36 hours and under constant enemy fire, 1 officer and 18 of the 36 men of the patrol were either killed or wounded. Private Keith with indomitable spirit made his way to the American forces, in broad daylight under intense enemy fire, furnished valuable information of the enemy to his battalion commander, and voluntarily made his way back to the beleaguered patrol in order to lead them to their own lines; they thus escaped the American barrage which preceded the attack of 4 October 1918. His undaunted courage, leadership, and devotion to duty proved an inspiration to every man of his regiment.