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 Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Henry C. Merritt, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company C, 38th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Gland, France, June 18 – 19, 1918. After successfully crossing the Marne with a night patrol, Lieutenant Merritt captured three prisoners. The patrol was then fired on by a detachment of the enemy, and, in the hand-to-hand conflict which followed, all of the enemy were killed. The patrol returned to our lines with one prisoner, and only two of the members wounded.