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 Captain (Corps of Engineers) Roderick Stephen Goodspeed Hall (ASN: 0-1114150), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company D, 2677th Regiment, Office of Strategic Services, in action from 2 August 1944 to 27 January 1945, in Italy. Volunteering for a special mission into enemy-occupied territory, Captain Hall parachuted into the region southeast of the Brenner Pass on 2 August 1944 for the purpose of disrupting enemy communications routes. Remaining as a lone allied officer in this mountainous area and repeatedly exposing himself to capture by an enemy constantly seeking him, he interrupted communications, collected and relayed intelligence information, demolished enemy installations and facilities and organized and operated with partisan bands intent on inflicting the utmost damage to the hostile occupying forces. Constantly eluding capture and frequently exposed to the severe winter weather, he was reported to have been wounded twice and to have seriously frozen his feet during his gallant exploits. Proceeding along to blow up the electric transformer station at Cortina d’Ampezzo and damage the railway system there, he was captured by the enemy on 27 January 1945 and died in a concentration camp at Bolzano, Italy, on 20 February 1945. The sustained devotion to duty, consummate fortitude, and indomitable courage displayed by Captain Hall in refusing to leave a highly dangerous area while he could still do damage to the enemy and his brave undertaking of an exceedingly perilous operation alone and unassisted reflect great credit on himself and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.