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 Corporal John William Packett (ASN: 1309469), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company L, 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Ponchaux, France, 7 October 1918. Corporal Packett volunteered and carried a message to battalion headquarters under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire, although he had seen many of his comrades fall in attempting the same mission.