Jeremiah A. Phelan

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Jeremiah A. Phelan, Corporal, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action at Cornay, France, October 9 – 10, 1918. After fighting for six hours, Corporal Phelan volunteered to accompany 15 other soldiers and an officer on night patrol of the town of Cornay, which was held by many machine-gun posts. The party worked from 11 o’clock at night till next morning in clearing buildings and dugouts of the enemy, capturing 65 prisoners and two machine-guns. With six others, Corporal Phelan volunteered and entered a dugout, where 23 prisoners were captured. He was wounded while leaving the town, but he refused to go to the aid station until the prisoners had been delivered at brigade headquarters.