James B. Lepley

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to James B. Lepley, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Souain, to the northeast of Chalons-sur-Marne, France, on the night of July 14 – 15, 1918. Sergeant Lepley left his trench and returned to the woods, through a smothering fire of gas, high explosive, and shrapnel, to search for two men from his platoon who were missing. He found them lost in the woods and guided them back to the platoon. On July 28, 1918, near Sergy, France, he led his platoon forward in the face of a heavy machine- gun fire and captured six machine-guns and 13 prisoners from the Prussian Guards.