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 William Roth (ASN: 540626), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company A, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Mont-St. Pere, Marne, France, 21 July 1918. After his company had been halted by machine-gun fire from the front, Corporal Roth advanced ahead of his organization to a position exposed to heavy enemy fire, and opened fire with an automatic rifle on the enemy nest. He continued this fire until killed by heavy fire directed on him from the enemy machine-gun nest.