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 Corporal John W. McKay (ASN: 2213386), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company M, 353d Infantry Regiment, 89th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, northwest of Bantheville, France, 1 November 1918. Immediately after the beginning of the attack in the Bois-de-Bantheville, France, when his company was held up by a strong machine-gun nest and his company commander and several others were killed by its fire, Corporal McKay, accompanied by an officer and with great gallantry and coolness, attacked and captured the machine-gun nest of four guns, killing or wounding a number of the crew.