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 Private Thomas Benton Welker (ASN: 1520540), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company B, 146th Infantry Regiment, 37th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Cierges, France, 28 September 1918. When his company had become disorganized under intense machine-gun fire, Private Welker assumed leadership of a group of men and courageously charged a machine-gun nest in plain view of the enemy, losing his life in this heroic attempt.