Severt J. Nelson
Distinguished Service Cross
U.S. Army
World War I
General Orders 78, W.D., 1919
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Severt J. Nelson, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Cunel, France, October 12, 1918. Leading his platoon in the face of murderous machine-gun fire, from his front and flanks, Sergeant Nelson reached his objective after taking four enemy machine-gun nests, and killing and capturing many prisoners. He then continued ahead of his men, and alone cleaned out some houses in the woods, which were occupied by the enemy.