Richard L. Townsend

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Richard L. Townsend, Private First Class, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Somme-Py, France, October 2 – 9, 1918. Private Townsend drove an ambulance night and day to an advanced dressing station under heavy shell fire. On the night of October 5 he voluntarily drove a machine to a place near the lines, over a road raked by machine-gun and shell fire, to evacuate a number of wounded whom the litter bearers were unable to bring in immediately.