By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Captain (Field Artillery) Harold Beacom, United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Captain Beacom distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters, 3d Field Artillery Brigade, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in action at Montfaucon, France, 5 October 1918, in voluntarily driving an ammunition truck under heavy shell fire.

By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Captain (Field Artillery) Harold Beacom, United States Army, is 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 him. At the 3d Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters at Montfaucon, France, on the afternoon of 5 October 1918, Captain Beacom was on duty as a Staff Officer of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade, 3d Division, American Expeditionary Forces. A train of 3-ton Peerless trucks loaded with 75-mm. and small arms ammunition was made immobile in the vicinity of the Post of Command of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade, by an accurate and destructive concentration of fire from German artillery by which the truck drivers were killed, wounded or driven to shelter. The fire included Gas and H. E. shells, causing the Brigade Commander, whose Headquarters were in the vicinity, to order all whose duty did not demand exposure, to take shelter in dugouts. Captain Beacom, learning of the catastrophe to the ammunition train, did, in disregard of all danger, voluntarily, and entirely without the sphere of duty that might be expected of him, give proof of his devotion and high courage by personally driving trucks out of the shell fire in order to remove the target.