William K. Smith

Sergeant 1st Class, U. S. Army

Distinguished Service Cross

GENERAL ORDERS:
War Department, General Orders 98 (1919)
CITATION:
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 K. Smith (ASN: 105775), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company D, 2d Machine-Gun Battalion, 1st Division, A.E.F., near Croix Le Perre, France, 18 July 1918.
After his platoon commander had become a causality and all the machine-guns of his section had been put out of action by shell fire, Sergeant Smith collected the few remaining men of his section, armed them with rifles and pistols and voluntarily led them against an enemy machine-gun nest, which was checking the advance of the battalion. Despite intense machine-gun and shell fire, he made a flank attack on the nest and reduced it, killing or capturing 12 of the enemy. His marked courage and quick initiative enabled the battalion to resume its advance.

Citation 1 June 1919 for gallantry in action by 1st Division

On 16 March 1919 awarded the French Medaille Militaire.

On 18 July 1919 awarded the French Croix de Guerre with palm.