C. William Ryan
Home Town: Wathena, KS
Distinguished Service Cross
World War I
U.S. Army
General Orders No. 37, W.D., 1919
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to C. William Ryan, First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Romagne, France, October 9, 1918. Being severely wounded, Lieutenant Ryan led his platoon through heavy shell and machine-gun fire, holding his command intact and capturing or destroying several machine-guns.