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 Dick Oosterbann (ASN: 2054915), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company C, 15th Machine-Gun Battalion, 5th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in the Bois-de-Rappes, France, 21 October 1918. While repulsing an enemy counterattack in the Bois-de-Rappe, Private Oosterbann, a gunner, was so badly wounded that he could no longer fire, but lay beside his gun for 18 hours, without medical attention, under heavy machine-gun fire, encouraging the remainder of his squad until the attack was over.