Charles Kelly
Home Town: Dalton, MA
Distinguished Service Cross
World War I
U.S. Army
General Orders No. No. 19, W.D., 1920
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Charles Kelly, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, France, September 29, 1918. Sergeant Kelly led his platoon in the attack with great bravery against strongly held enemy trenches. Shortly after reaching his objective he was wounded in the throat. He refused to be evacuated, but continued to actively command his men until the night of October 1, by which time, due to his wound, he had lost the power of speech.