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 Matthew George Rice (ASN: 89240), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company A, 165th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, at Landres-et-St. Georges, France, 15 October 1918. While acting as a runner Corporal Rice delivered a message from the regimental commander to the commander of the assault battalion, crossing a level field swept by intense machine-gun and artillery fire, and though severely wounded returned with a message to the regimental commander who stated that all the runners had been killed or wounded and that he desired to send another message to the battalion commander. Private Rice promptly volunteered to carry the message and in accomplishing his mission was again wounded; notwithstanding which fact he again crossed the fire-swept zone and delivered a return message to the regimental commander. Private Rice was then carried from the field.