Robert Dechert

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Robert Dechert, Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Le Channel, France, July 23 – 25, 1918. When the attacking battalion had been held up by machine- gun fire, Captain Dechert (then first lieutenant), who was on duty s regimental signal officer, personally carried wire across an open field in full view of the enemy and established a telephone station within 200 yards of the front line. He then went forward under heavy shell fire to report to the battalion commander, and returning to the telephone kept it in operation for 24 hours under intense artillery and machine-gun fire.