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 Winfield Finlay Shahan (ASN: 1458127), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company M, 139th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, 26 to 28 September 1918, and near Exermont, France, 29 September 1918. Corporal Shahan, regimental liaison noncommissioned officer, with great courage constantly exposed himself to heavy enemy machine-gun and shell fire for three days in maintaining liaison between his regimental headquarters and the companies in the front line. On 29 September he attacked, single-handed, an enemy machine-gun nest, killing several of the enemy and taking one prisoner. While making his way back to his lines, he was fired upon by another German machine-gun, which wounded him in the right arm, and was at the same time attacked by his prisoner. In spite of his wound, he killed the German with his pistol, and reached his lines in safety.