By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Corporal Laurence J. Kearney (ASN: 550280), United States Army, is cited (Posthumously) by the Commanding General, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the World War I Victory Medals awarded him. While serving with Company D, 38th Infantry Regiment, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Fismes, France, on the morning of 6 August 1918, while making liaison between his platoon and the platoon occupying first line positions, Corporal Kearney ran into an enemy patrol which had succeeded in surrounding the platoon in the first line. He gave the alarm which prevented the complete surprise and annihilation of this platoon, although in doing so he sacrificed his own life.