Francis A. Bean

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Francis A. Bean, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near St. Souplet, France, October 18, 1918. His company having been stopped by heavy enemy machine-gun fire, Sergeant Bean and two other soldiers worked their way into the enemy position, putting out of action two hostile machine guns. They then proceeded toward a dugout nearby under heavy fire and, upon encountering a German in the act of throwing a grenade at them, Sergeant Bean shot him. Reaching the entrance to the dugout, they forced the surrender of the occupants, who numbered thirty-five, including three officers.