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 Private First Class James Washington Smeck (ASN: 112905), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company B, 149th Machine-Gun Battalion, 42d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Sergy, France, 31 July 1918. Private First Class Smeck displayed extraordinary heroism in the performance of his duties as runner and, when another runner had been mortally wounded, trying to reach company headquarters, he volunteered for and accomplished this mission, passing through intense artillery and machine-gun fire.