The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to First Lieutenant (Air Service) Edward Orr, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 12th Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., in the Toul sector, France, 28 August 1918. Lieutenant Orr, flying with Lieutenant Phil A. Henderson, infantry, observer, on an unprotected reconnaissance mission, encountered a patrol of eight enemy pursuit planes near the American balloon line. The patrol was sighted just as one of them dived on the balloon with the intention of destroying it. Without hesitation, Lieutenant Orr attacked this plane and followed it to within 50 meters, firing his single front gun against the double guns with which the German plane was equipped. In the meantime Lieutenant Henderson engaged the other eight planes, which attacked from the rear. After a violent combat, all of the enemy planes were driven off. On 14 September 1918, Lieutenant Orr was accidentally killed.