By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Private Travis Hardin and Private Earl J. Clark, United States Army, are cited 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 them. While serving with the 8th Machine Gun Battalion, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, Private Hardin and Private Clark showed exceptional coolness and bravery on the morning of 15 October 1918, at the Meuse-Argonne Battle. Their Platoon Commander advanced with them and eight other men over a hill five hundred yards west of the Stone Quarry of the road north of Cunel, France. This detachment started out in the face of a heavy German counter barrage and direct machine gun fire, and surprised seventy-two Germans entrenched in the reverse slope of the hill, took them prisoner.