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 First Lieutenant (Infantry) Charles Albert Shaw, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company E, 353d Infantry Regiment, 89th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, during the offensive against the St. Mihiel salient, France, 12 September 1918. First Lieutenant Shaw personally led his platoon under heavy machine-gun fire into the undamaged enemy wire, so inspiring his platoon that, regardless of heavy losses, the machine-gun nest was neutralized. He was killed one minute after his platoon had accomplished its mission.