Leon R. Matson

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Leon R. Matson, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Ronssoy, France, September 27 & 29, 1918. On the morning of September 27, after all the officers and most of the sergeants of his company had been killed, Sergeant Matson took command and led the company into effective combat, making repeated reconnaissance in front of the line under severe machine-gun fire. On September 29 he led his men forward, capturing an important knoll, and held it with a small number of men. Finding the ammunition and food depleted, he led a detail through the heavy machine-gun fire, bringing back both food and ammunition.