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 First Lieutenant (Chaplain’s Corps) Francis Alphonsus Kelly, United States Army, for repeated acts of extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 104th Machine-Gun Battalion, 27th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Ronssoy, France, September 26 – 30, 1918, and east of the LeSelle River, France, 13 – 20 October 1918. During the operations of his regiment against the Hindenburg line and later east of the LeSelle River, Chaplain Kelly was constantly at the front, caring for the-wounded and supervising the burial of the dead, often under heavy shell and machine-gun fire. His fearless conduct afforded an inspiring example to the combat troops.