The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Francis W. Payne, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company M, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, while in charge of an ammunition carrying party near Soissons, France, 19 July 1918. Second Lieutenant Payne showed the highest degree of courage in taking ammunition to the front lines through artillery and machine-gun fire, and was killed while engaged in this duty.