Francis J. Connelly

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Francis J. Connelly, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Bellicourt, France, September 29, 1918. Sergeant Connelly was on duty as gunner in a tank, whose track was broken by a direct hit from an enemy shell. Because of the heavy machine-gun fire it was impossible to repair the track, but Sergeant Connelly, accompanied by another soldier, left the tank, picked up some rifles, and crawling through the trenches and brush to the rear of the machine-gun position killed four of the enemy crew. They then returned to the tank and assisted in repairing the track under heavy shell fire.