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 Sergeant Russell Ventry Somes (ASN: 263260), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company I, 125th Infantry Regiment, 32d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Cierges, France, 31 July 1918. Sergeant Somes advanced in front of his lines on the right of Hill No. 212, under heavy machine-gun fire, and rescued three wounded soldiers. Later he went out into an advanced machine-gun position where three men had already been killed and rescued the only survivor, who had been blinded by shell fire and could not help himself.