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 First Lieutenant (Medical Corps) William D. McLelland, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 314th Ambulance Company, 304th Sanitary Train, 79th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Nantillois and Montfaucon, France, September 29 to 1 October 1918. Lieutenant McLelland displayed untiring energy in bringing in the wounded while continually subjected to machine-gun and shrapnel fire. It was necessary to move the dressing station to some abandoned German dugouts because of the heavy fire, and during the bombardment this station was set on fire and six men killed, but Lieutenant McLelland, by his coolness and courage, enabled the speedy evacuation of the wounded.