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 Edgar E. McDowell (ASN: 1311232), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company F, 118th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Montbrehain, France, 8 October 1918. When the second wave of his company was confronted by two enemy machine-gun posts, which had been passed over by the first wave, Private McDowell, from a prone position, sniped at these posts and then rushed one of them. In so doing he was wounded in the wrist, but he continued on and succeeded in killing two Germans and capturing four others. The other post, containing 20 of the enemy, surrendered shortly afterwards.