Otis R. Douglas

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Otis R. Douglas, Private, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Bellicourt, France, September 29, 1918. Hearing cries of distress from a disabled tank, Private Douglas assisted an officer by advancing in the face of terrific machine-gun and shell fire to the spot. November 15, 1918, and near the Meuse River, November 5, 1918. On October 15, Sergeant Douglas led his platoon against a strong machine-gun nest in the open field east of the Bois-de-Pultier, capturing about 20 prisoners with very few casualties in his own platoon. On November 5, he led his platoon across the Meuse in the face of heavy machine-gun, rifle and artillery fire and successfully cleared the heights east of the river of strong enemy machine-gun positions.