James Fitzgerald

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to James Fitzgerald, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action during the battle of the Marne, France, July 19, 1918. Sergeant Fitzgerald repeatedly volunteered for patrol duty during the period of the Germans’ occupation south of the Marne, and while a member of a reconnoitering patrol, his patrol was fired upon by machine guns from a German strong point. The patrol withdrew with the exception of Sergeant Fitzgerald, who remained in the vicinity under a heavy fire and courageously continued his reconnaissance until his mission had been accomplished, after which he killed two Germans and returned with valuable information.