William E. Kepner

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to William E. Kepner, Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Cunel, France, October 5 – 6, 1918. While in command of a battalion. Captain Kepner personally led one company of his command in an attack on a woods occupied by a company of German machine-gunners. He was the first man to enter the woods and later when part of the attacking company was held up by flanking machine-gun fire, he, with a patrol of three men, encircled this machine-gun and after a hard hand-to-hand fight, put the gun out of action.