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 Sergeant Ellis Owens, Jr. (ASN: 1112537), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 3d Trench Mortar Battery, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Mezy, France, 15 July 1918. When an advanced position of his battery was penetrated by the enemy in greatly superior numbers, Sergeant Owens, with utter disregard of his personal safety, voluntarily securing a motor truck, drove it to the battery position through an exposed area heavily swept by enemy artillery and machine gun fire, and, although he himself was severely injured, succeeded in rescuing and removing to safety a wounded officer and several wounded enlisted men.