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 Major (Medical Corps) Karl J. Swenson, United States Army, for repeated acts of extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 316th Sanitary Train, 91st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Very, France, September 28 to 4 October 1918. and near Audeuarde, Belgium, 30 October to 3 November 1918. During the drive in the Forest of Argonne Major Swenson established and maintained a dressing station at Very under almost constant aerial raids and severe shell fire. During the operations between the Lys and Scheldt Rivers this officer repeatedly showed utter disregard for his own life, maintaining liaison between his own advanced dressing station and the battalion aid stations and searching for wounded on the battlefield while he was exposed to heavy fire from artillery, machine-guns and snipers.