Richard H. Boyd

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Richard H. Boyd, Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near La Haie Menneresse, France, October 17, 1918. After his platoon had suffered severe casualties, and his ammunition entirely exhausted, Lieutenant Boyd went about the town under annihilating fire to collect the stragglers. With a few he managed to collect, he attacked and put out of action three enemy machine-gun nests, after which he reported to the front line. Here he voluntarily exposed himself in assisting wounded from the face of murderous fire, and while standing in full view of the enemy, directing his men to seek shelter, he was killed by a shell explosion.