Hercules E. Korgis

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Hercules E. Korgis, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Mont Blanc, France, October 3 – 9, 1918, and near Letanne, France, November 5, 1918. While leading a small patrol in an endeavor to establish liaison with the French troops on the right, during an attack, Sergeant Korgis’s patrol was subjected to short-range machine-gun fire from two enemy guns. The fire halted their advance, whereupon Sergeant Korgis designated a few men to fire upon the enemy from the front, while he led the remainder in a flank attack upon the enemy, charging the post, killing the enemy crew of eight with grenades, and capturing their guns. On November 5, when an attack section became disorganized due to surprise fire from enemy machine guns, Sergeant Korgis fearlessly exposed himself to this fire and rushed to the “panic stricken” section and conducted them to cover, reorganized them, and subsequently led them in an attack upon the enemy position.