William Mack

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to William Mack, Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action on the Vesle River, near Bazoches, France, September 2, 1918. Captain (then first lieutenant) Mack volunteered to leave St. Thibaut in broad daylight with another officer and a patrol of ten men to reconnoiter the enemy’s lines. Upon reaching the Vesle River, Captain Mack swam across it and arranged a rope by means of which the remainder of the patrol crossed the stream. He divided the patrol and, taking five men with him, advanced on the village of Bazoches, which was occupied by the enemy. He attacked enemy hiding places in an old house in which he encountered four Germans. Although under machine-gun fire, he gained valuable information, having actually penetrated the enemy’s advanced posts, and with great skill withdrew his patrol. Captain Mack and four of his men were wounded, two mortally.