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) John J. Williams, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 165th Infantry Regiment, 42d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Villers-sur-Fere, France, 28 July 1918. When all the other officers of his company had been killed or wounded, Second Lieutenant Williams promptly took command, led his men through artillery and machine-gun fire, rushed a machine-gun which was blocking his advance, personally killed four members of its crew, gained his objective and held it.