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 Private First Class Norris Wyatt Ryley (ASN: 136426), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Battery B, 103d Field Artillery, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Seicheprey, France, 20 April 1918. All wire communications having been destroyed, two of the three guns of his battery also destroyed, and fifty per cent of the men of the battery killed or wounded, and several runners having been killed or wounded in attempting to carry messages to the battalion post of command, Private Ryley voluntarily and repeatedly crossed an exposed field a distance of 700 yards under terrific machine-gun and artillery fire, and again repeated his hazardous task on 21 April 1918, and on each occasion accomplishing his mission. His heroic conduct was an inspiration to every man of his regiment.