Michael O’Connell

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Michael O’Connell, Corporal, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Epieds, France, July 23, 1918. Corporal O’Connell, Sergeant Simeon L. Nickerson, and Private Thomas Ryan volunteered to cross an open field in front of their company in order to ascertain the location of enemy machine-guns. While engaged in this courageous enterprise they were shot and killed. The heroic self-sacrifice of these three men saved the lives of many of their comrades, who would have been killed had the company attempted to make the advance as a whole.