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 Corporal Ervin Oscar Sheffer (ASN: 551874), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company I, 38th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, north of Cierges, France, 9 October 1918. In the attack on Hill 253, Corporal Sheffer was in command of an automatic rifle squad which was making an attack under enemy rifle and machine-gun fire on an enemy machine-gun nest. After the gunner had been killed, he seized the automatic rifle of the dead gunner and while rushing forward toward the nest was killed by machine-gun fire.