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 Captain (Infantry) William L. Krigbaum, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company A, 124th Machine-Gun Battalion, 33d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Bois-de-Chaume, France, 9 October 1918. When the battalion to which Captain Krigbaum was attached had reached its objective north of Bois-de-Chaume, it was subjected to two counterattacks. The right flank of the battalion was left exposed and all the gun crews on that flank were either killed or wounded and the guns put out of action. At the most critical time of this emergency, Captain Krigbaum alone mounted a captured German machine gun and so successfully operated it against the enemy that the counterattack was stopped and the flank of the battalion saved from serious losses.