The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Sergeant William Joseph Vierbuchen (MCSN: 77040/0-3512), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the Fifty-Fifth Company, Fifth Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., in action in the Bois-de-Belleau, France, 11 June 1918. Though he had been wounded by fire from an enemy machine-gun nest, Sergeant Vierbuchen made a reconnaissance, securing information which was largely instrumental in the successful capture of this nest a few hours later.