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 First Lieutenant (Infantry) Joseph E. Shantz, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 131st Infantry Regiment, 33d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Consenvoye, France, 13 October 1918. Although seriously wounded in the head by shrapnel, Lieutenant Shantz went forward to rectify the position of our troops, who were occupying the ground on which our barrage was scheduled to fall. Through a perilous fire, he brought the line back to a new position.