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 Richard M. Kirk (ASN: 2257820), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company H, 361st Infantry Regiment, 91st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, at Audenarde, Belgium, 1 November 1918. Sergeant Kirk was a member of a patrol sent out to reconnoiter the town of Audenarde. This patrol discovered several enemy machine-gun sniper posts, located in buildings, which were enfilading the streets of the town. Taking another soldier with him, and dodging from building to building, he entered one of these houses and captured two machine-gunners.