William E. Ashton

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to William E. Ashton, Major (Medical Corps), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Marcq, France, October 17, 1918. The mess trench at Headquarters, 155th Infantry Brigade, was struck by a shell as the officers were sitting down to their evening meal, several being killed and a greater number wounded by the shell exploding on the edge of the trench. Major Ashton, on hearing of the disaster insisted on going with the ambulances himself, notwithstanding that the road to and the terrain occupied by the brigade were under heavy artillery fire. With great courage he rendered aid to the wounded, during which time he was subjected to constant explosion of phosgene shells and, in order to perform his duties, he was forced to remove his gas mask.