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 Private John Stephens Rives (ASN: 1315603), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company E, 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Bellicourt, France, 29 September 1918. Showing marked personal bravery, he repeatedly crossed shell-swept area subjected to heavy machine-gun fire to delivery important messages. Wounded in the head by shrapnel he bound up the wound and continued his work of maintaining liaison until he was killed by machine-gun fire.