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 Captain (Infantry) Dudley W. Woodward, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Soissons, France, 18 July 1918. Advancing with his company in the face of withering machine-gun fire, Captain Woodward attacked a nest of ten machine-guns and a battery of field guns, which were holding up the attack. In spite of the additional hazard of heavy enfilading fire from enemy artillery on the left, he succeeded with his mission. On another occasion he broke up an enemy counterattack formation by placing an automatic rifle team in an exposed position and disorganized the enemy with a harassing fire.