Charles R. Burks
Home Town: Malvern, IA
Distinguished Service Cross
World War I
U.S. Army
General Orders No. No. 116, W.D., 1918
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Charles R. Burks, Private, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Sergy, northeast of Chateau-Thierry, France, July 30, 1918. During the midday attack on Sergy, after all the runners had been exhausted and many men had been killed or wounded, Private Burks volunteered to take a message to a neighboring unit through violent bombardment and machine-gun fire. He was killed by a machine-gun bullet while on his way with the message.