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 Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Kenneth Bleau (ASN: 0-1294967), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company G, 2d Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces at Normandy, France, on 6 June 1944. Second Lieutenant Bleau, with complete disregard for his own safety, personally reconnoitered a path through an intricate and dense minefield under heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire. He then led his men through the gap to a German dominated ridge. When his unit was completely surrounded on the ridge by enemy riflemen, and two hostile machine guns fired at point blank range threatening to annihilate his company, Second Lieutenant Bleau crawled forward to within twenty yards of one of the weapons and destroyed the gun and crew with hand grenades. He then fearlessly charged the second emplacement and knocked it out of action. Later, during two hostile counterattacks, Second Lieutenant Bleau engaged the enemy in violent hand-to-hand combat, personally killing five Germans and wounding many others. By his heroic achievement, exemplary bravery and devotion to duty, Second Lieutenant Bleau acted in keeping with the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.