Charles Seagraves

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Charles Seagraves, Lieutenant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action at Fossoy, France, July 14 – 15, 1918. During the intense artillery bombardment preceding the second battle of the Marne, Lieutenant Seagraves (then a sergeant) volunteered to reestablish broken liaison with his company post of command. While carrying messages, he was twice captured by groups of the enemy, but each time he escaped, killing five of his captors. On returning to his platoon’s position and finding that every member of it had been killed or captured, he organized a group of 100 men from his own and other companies, and closed the breach of 500 meters in the line. Shortly afterward he went out alone, and locating an enemy machine-gun, captured the entire crew single-handed.