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 Second Lieutenant Cecil J. Widdifield (MCSN: 0-1056), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the Sixth Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., in action near St. Etienne, France, 5 October 1918. Second Lieutenant Widdifield voluntarily went forward for a distance of 800 meters under heavy shell fire and rescued a wounded soldier who had been left there the night before when the advance patrols had been withdrawn.