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 Benjamin Harrison Menges (ASN: 41132), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Blanc Mont, France, 3 October 1918. By crawling forward alone across a clearing swept by German machine-gun fire, and armed only with his rifle and bayonet, Private Menges killed four of the enemy who resisted him and after clearing out several dugouts in the woods, returned with eight prisoners and valuable information. His act of valor was instrumental in warding off a strong enemy counterattack.