Thomas V. Burns

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Thomas V. Burns, Private, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Vierzy, France, July 18, 1918. Private Burns fearlessly sprang to the assistance of a French officer and helped him, under fire, remove a wounded French soldier from a burning tank which had been struck by a shell. Afterwards, seeing a gap in the firing line, he collected four men, dashed forward and captured five machine guns, with which he held the line until the arrival of reinforcements. He then rejoined his platoon, where he rendered valuable service during the remainder of the battle.