Archives West Finding Aid

Small collection of materials related to the military service of Ross E. Read of Portland, Oregon, in Company D of the 1st U.S. Engineers during World War I. The collection includes documents and correspondence regarding citations and awards bestowed on Read for heroism during combat in Cantigny, France, in May 1918, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, and Silver Star. Also included are a photograph of General John J. Pershing presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Read in January 1919; a certificate of Read's promotion to sergeant in September 1919; a roster of the 265th M. P. Company; a 1914 German bank note; and a June 13, 1919, pictorial supplement to the American Expeditionary Forces newspaper, The Stars and Stripes, with personal notes by Read. Also included is a book, published circa 1918, documenting the operations of the 1st U.S. Engineers during World War I. Clippings and photographs are pasted to the inside covers of the book.