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 Kurt H. A. Koehler (ASN: 155137), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company A, 1st Engineers, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Verdun, France, 9 October 1918. Operating without assistance a machine gun which he secured by crawling out ahead of our lines, Private Koehler successfully resisted a greatly superior force of the enemy, killing several and causing the rest to retreat. When wounds in the shoulder made it impossible for him to further operate the gun he rendered it unserviceable with a pick handle before retiring and reporting to his company commander.