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) Irving Le Nois Ragsdale, United States Army, for repeated acts of extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 356th Infantry Regiment, 89th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Beaufort, France, 4 November 1918, and near Laneuville, France, 6 November 1918. Advancing across open ground under intense machine-gun and artillery fire on 4 November 1918, Lieutenant Ragsdale killed an enemy machine-gunner with his automatic pistol. Later he again crossed an open field under terrific machine-gun fire, killing two enemy gunners who were retarding the advance. On 6 November during an intense shell and gas bombardment of Laneuville, he repeatedly exposed himself while assisting the wounded.