James C. Rhea

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to James C. Rhea, Colonel (Cavalry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near St. Etienne, France, October 9, 1918. Colonel Rhea, with Lieutenant Le Pelletier de Woillemont, French Army, voluntarily undertook an important reconnaissance under hazardous circumstances during the Masif Blanc Mont operations at a time when accurate information concerning our advanced positions was greatly needed and could not be obtained from other sources. In an automobile, whose conspicuous appearance drew the concentrated fire of enemy artillery and machine-guns, they proceeded one mile across open ground to the town of St. Etienne, where our troops were in contact with the enemy. Under fire these two officers reconnoitered the front lines, locating the position of the enemy as well as that of the French units on the flank, and returned across the open with complete, reliable, and timely information of the highest military value in subsequent operations.