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 First Lieutenant (Infantry) William R. Reid, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 307th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Chateau-de-Diable, France, 27 August 1918. Lieutenant Reid, while on duty as battalion adjutant, voluntarily led a small patrol into woods held by the enemy to ascertain the source of heavy machine-gun fire which stopped the advance of his battalion. In the performance of this courageous act he was killed by enemy machine-gun fire.