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 Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Earl Linn Wall, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 132d Infantry Regiment, 33d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in the Bois-de-Malaumont, France, 8 October 1918. As battalion scout officer Lieutenant Wall led a patrol into the wood for the purpose of securing information of enemy units, in preparation for an attack. Severe machine-gun fire was encountered and this officer was wounded, but, with two soldiers, he continued on until he was wounded the second time, securing the desired information.