Ben H. Menges

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Ben H. Menges, Private, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Blanc Mont, France, October 3, 1918. By crawling forward alone across a clearing swept by German machine-gun fire, and armed only with his rifle and bayonet, Private Menges killed four of the enemy who resisted him and after clearing out several dugouts in the woods, returned with eight prisoners and valuable information. His act of valor was instrumental in warding off a strong enemy counterattack.