The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service that is clearly exceptional. The exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration.
Leonard Wood was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba, and Governor-General of the Philippines. He began his military career as an army doctor on the frontier, where he received the Medal of Honor. During the Spanish–American War, he commanded the Rough Riders, with Theodore Roosevelt as his second-in-command. Wood was bypassed for a major command in World War I, but then became a prominent Republican Party leader and a leading candidate for the 1920 presidential nomination.
Hugh Samuel Johnson was a United States Army officer, businessman, speech writer, government official and newspaper columnist. He was a member of the Brain Trust of Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1932 to 1934. He wrote numerous speeches for FDR and helped plan the New Deal. Appointed head of the National Recovery Administration (NRA) in 1933, he was highly energetic in his "blue eagle" campaign to reorganize American business to reduce competition and raise wages and prices. Schlesinger (1958) and Ohl (1985) conclude that he was an excellent organizer, but that he was also domineering, abusive, outspoken, and unable to work harmoniously with his peers. He lost control of the NRA in August 1934.
The United States Army Air Service (USAAS) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1918 and 1926 and a forerunner of the United States Air Force. It was established as an independent but temporary branch of the U.S. War Department during World War I by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation Section, Signal Corps as the nation's air force; and March 19, 1919, establishing a military Director of Air Service to control all aviation activities. Its life was extended for another year in July 1919, during which time Congress passed the legislation necessary to make it a permanent establishment. The National Defense Act of 1920 assigned the Air Service the status of "combatant arm of the line" of the United States Army with a major general in command.
The National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) was an organization created "to coordinate, supervise, and conduct scientific research on the problems underlying the development, production, and use of mechanisms and devices of warfare" in the United States from June 27, 1940, until June 28, 1941. Most of its work was done with the strictest secrecy, and it began research of what would become some of the most important technology during World War II, including radar and the atomic bomb. It was superseded by the Office of Scientific Research and Development in 1941, and reduced to merely an advisory organization until it was eventually terminated during 1947.
Harry Augustus "Hal" Garfield was an American lawyer, academic, and public official. He was president of Williams College and supervised the United States Fuel Administration during World War I. He was a son of President James A. Garfield.
Robert Scott Lovett was an American lawyer and railroad executive. He was president and chairman of the board of the Union Pacific Railroad and a Director of both The National City Bank of New York and Western Union.
Ernest Harold Cluett was an American businessman and politician from Troy, New York. A Republican, he was most notable for his service as a United States representative from 1937 to 1943.
General Charles Lawrence Bolte was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. In World War II he distinguished himself as commander of the 34th Infantry Division during the Italian Campaign, for which he was twice awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal. Later promoted to four-star general officer rank, his final post was Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
The Council of National Defense was a United States organization formed during World War I to coordinate resources and industry in support of the war effort, including the coordination of transportation, industrial and farm production, financial support for the war, and public morale.
The Departmental Reorganization Act, also known as the Overman Act, was an American law that increased presidential power during World War I. Sponsored by Sen. Lee S. Overman, a Democrat from North Carolina, it gave President Woodrow Wilson sweeping powers to reorganize government agencies "during the continuance of the present war and for six months after the termination of the war by the proclamation of the treaty of peace, or at such earlier time as the President may designate." With its authority, Wilson created the War Industries Board, the National War Labor Board, and the Committee on Public Information.
George Cameron Stone was a well-known American arms collector and author as well as an American mining engineer and metallurgist. He authored a glossary of the antique weapons of the world that remains one of the most comprehensive works ever written on the subject.
Charles Prentice Howland was an American football coach and lawyer. He was the first head football coach at Brown University. He coached the Brown Bears football program for the 1892 season and compiled a record of 4–4–2. Howland graduated from Yale University in 1891, and received a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1894. He later practiced law in New York City and worked as a research associate at his alma mater, Yale.
Marston Taylor Bogert was an American chemist.
William Byron Colver was chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and general editorial director of the Scripps‐Howard newspapers. He was a member of the price-fixing committee of the War Industries Board during World War I.
Charles Bowman Dougherty was an officer in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He attained the rank of major general as commander of the 28th Infantry Division.
John Milton Hancock was an American Navy officer, interim-manager and Wall Street banker. He is known for distinguished achievement in industrial management in the private and public sector, for which he has been awarded the Henry Laurence Gantt Medal in 1944.
Charles Piez was an American mechanical engineer, manufacturer, and president of the Link-Belt Co. He was president of the Electric Company, and vice president and general manager of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC). He is also known as president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers from 1930 to 1931.
Edwin B. Parker was an American lawyer and public official. He worked as a lawyer in Houston and served as head of the priorities division of the War Industries Board. He also served on the American–German Claims Commission and the Tripartite Claims Commission with Austria and Hungary.
Pope Yeatman was an American mining engineer and consultant. He was known for his work in mining in South Africa, Chile and Alaska. He was a member of the War Industries Board during World War I.
