The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Chief Boatswain’s Mate Edward J. Heil, United States Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commander of the Armed Guard of the S.S. Osage, and in encounter with an enemy submarine. On 19 February 1918, in convoy, when two British ships were torpedoed, that ship picked up the submarine wake and fired three snots. Four hours later again sighted submarine wake and fired five shots, a torpedo was fired at the ship but missed. A destroyer then dropped depth bombs.