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 Second Lieutenant (Infantry) William M. Spencer, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 165th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Villers-sur-Fere, France, on 28 July 1918. Second Lieutenant Spencer led his platoon in an attack which stormed and took the strongly prepared enemy positions on the heights north of the River Ourcq. He maintained the position thus gained under a fire that lasted for seven hours. During this entire time he continually circulated among his men, cheering them, and giving the wounded first aid. In order to reach and administer aid to his wounded captain, he passed without cover into an area which was under extremely heavy machine-gun fire and was himself wounded.