Oley Costner

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Oley Costner, Private, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Ponchaux, France, October 7, 1918. When his company commander, for whom he was orderly, was wounded, Private Costner carried the wounded officer for 75 yards, under heavy fire, to a shell hole. When this location was fired upon by a machine-gun he crawled out, against his captain’s advice, attacked the enemy position, and brought back the gun. Though ordered by his company commander to leave him and save himself from the heavy fire to which they were subjected, he remained at his post until he could effect the officer’s evacuation to the rear.