By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Private R. Byers, 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. Private Byers distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with Battery E, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in action in the Toul Sector, France, 4 May 1918, in helping to extinguish a fire that was in danger of spreading to an ammunition dump.