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 Colonel (Cavalry) James Cooper Rhea, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving as Chief of Staff, 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near St. Etienne, France, 9 October 1918. Colonel Rhea, with Lieutenant Le Pelletier de Woillemont, French Army, voluntarily undertook an important reconnaissance under hazardous circumstances during the Masif Blanc Mont operations at a time when accurate information concerning our advanced positions was greatly needed and could not be obtained from other sources. In an automobile, whose conspicuous appearance drew the concentrated fire of enemy artillery and machine-guns, they proceeded one mile across open ground to the town of St. Etienne, where our troops were in contact with the enemy. Under fire these two officers reconnoitered the front lines, locating the position of the enemy as well as that of the French units on the flank, and returned across the open with complete, reliable, and timely information of the highest military value in subsequent operations.