Fred D. Mendenhall

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Fred D. Mendenhall, First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Cunel, France, October 20, 1918. Although his platoon was constantly under heavy shell and machine-gun fire, Lieutenant Mendenhall courageously directed the wiring of an extreme northern outpost line of infantry on October 20, 1918. On the night of October 10, 1918, he skillfully directed the construction of a pontoon bridge over the Loison River. So close to the enemy was his platoon that it was necessary to lash the bridge together, because the hammering of nails drew instant machine-gun fire from the enemy.