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 Sergeant John Sherman Simpson (ASN: 40012), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company I, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in the Soissons sector, France, 18 July 1918. During the assault near Soissons, Sergeant Simpson, although severely wounded, continued in action for several hours, leading a group of men beyond and back of an enemy machine-gun emplacement in order to flank it and make the infantry advance at this point possible. He succeeded, but while engaged in this courageous duty he was killed.