The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Corps of Engineers) Morgan Bland McDermott, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 7th Engineers, 5th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Cunel, France, 20 October 1918. Accompanied by a soldier, First Lieutenant McDermott made a reconnaissance within the German lines and captured a machine-gun. Under heavy machine-gun fire he gave first-aid treatment to a wounded soldier and continued on his mission until he was himself severely wounded.