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 McLaughlin (ASN: 91850), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company M, 165th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Sedan, France, 7 November 1918. After ten of the 16 men of his patrol had been wounded and others scattered by machine-gun fire, Corporal McLaughlin, with two other soldiers, continued on his mission. He located six guns and returned with valuable information, which was turned over to the troops relieving his regiment. This mission was carried out under continuous machine-gun fire.