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 Sergeant Thomas Massey Rivel (ASN: 1778977), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Headquarters Detachment, 79th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Montfaucon, France, September 28 – 30, 1918. While acting as a division observer Sergeant Rivel remained constantly on duty for several days in a building on the heights of Montfaucon. While he was in this building portions of it were destroyed by direct artillery hits, and hostile shelling was such that other observers located in the same building withdrew to a safer place. Sergeant Rivel, however, remained constantly at his post of duty and obtained important information.