The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Air Service) Arthur Hadden Alexander, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 96th Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, between Friauville and Lamorville, France, 4 September 1918. While on a bombing expedition with other planes from his squadron Lieutenant Alexander engaged in a running fight over hostile territory with a superior number of enemy battle planes from Friauville to Lamorville, France. He was seriously wounded in the abdomen by a machine-gun bullet, and his observer was shot through the legs. Although weak from pain and loss of blood, Lieutenant Alexander piloted his plane back to his own airdrome and concealed the fact of his injury until after his observer had been cared for.