John Patrick Hurley

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John Patrick Hurley, Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action at Villers-sur- Fere, France, July 28, 1918. His company having reached its objective, Captain Hurley ordered several patrols forward to silence several enemy machine guns which were causing heavy casualties in his own and other companies of his battalion. The patrols meeting heavy casualties from the intense enemy fire, Captain Hurley himself organized a patrol and led it forward. While temporarily checked by the intense fire, he crawled forward and rescued a wounded officer, carrying him to a place of shelter. Resuming the advance of the patrol Captain Hurley was severely wounded, but continued to direct the movement of his men, who, inspired by the great courage and fortitude of their leader, pushed forward and captured the machine-gun nest, killing for capturing the crews thereof.