Harold J. Gordon

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Harold J. Gordon, Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Hearne, Belgium, November 4, 1918. Although in command of an ambulance company and not required to work so far forward, Captain Gordon voluntarily crossed the river and sought out wounded among the troops in the advance line. Finding two severely wounded men, he gave them first aid under withering machine-gun, rifle, and shellfire, arranged such shelter for them as he could, then sought assistance to carry them on to safety. Returning with three men of his company, the bearers placed one of the wounded on an improvised litter, while the other was carried on the shoulders of the officer until the latter was exhausted. The fire becoming more intense, the wounded man was placed on the ground and encouraged by the officer to crawl to safety, the latter crawling beside him and protecting hem from the enemy’s fire with his own body.