Walter F. L. Hartigan

By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Major (Infantry) Walter F. L. Hartigan, United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Major Hartigan distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with the 118th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in action on 29 September 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, and by his brilliant leadership.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Walter F. L. Hartigan, Major, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Bellicourt, France, September 29, 1918. During the attack against the Hindenburg line, while at the division forward observation post, Major Hartigan, realizing that many men were losing their direction in the heavy fog, voluntarily left his post of comparative safety, went forward under a heavy hostile artillery barrage, and in the face of machine-gun fire reorganized into detachments at this critical time several hundred stragglers of the 60th Brigade, as well as two companies of the 117th Infantry. Securing tanks to accompany them, by indefatigable efforts he directed these units forward when their assistance was of prime importance to the successful issue of the combat.