William E. Kraft

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to William E. Kraft, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Ronssoy, France, September 29, 1918. In the attack on the Hindenburg line, after all the officers of his company became casualties, Sergeant Kraft too command and led his company in the attack through machine-gun and artillery fire. Shortly after returning from a personal reconnaissance of the enemy machine-gun position, he again took up the advance, and was leading the attack when killed by an enemy sniper. The heroism displayed by this noncommissioned officer was an important factor in the success of the attack of his company.