Walter T. Christenson

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Walter T. Christenson, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Sedan, France, November 7, 1918. After his platoon commander and the second in command had become casualties, Sergeant Christenson (then a private) took charge of the platoon, reorganized it, and led it forward, set up his machine guns in the open under the direct fire of enemy machine guns and artillery, and successfully silenced four enemy machine guns which were impeding the advance of the Infantry. Again he volunteered and carried a message from his company commander to the battalion post of command and brought back an answer without loss of time, through a terrific enemy fire. After his company was relieved, he returned to the former position with a detail of men and brought back all the wounded of his platoon, personally seeing that they were properly cared for and evacuated.