The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Second Lieutenant (Air Corps) George G. Potts, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as pilot of a P-47 type aircraft. On 4 September 1944, Lieutenant Potts led a four plane formation in a strafing attack against targets of opportunity near Dijon, France. Spotting a train of forty or more box cars, he immediately led his flight on a strafing run which destroyed the locomotive and demobilized the train. He then reformed his flight and despite anti-aircraft fire, led it on a strafing run on the box cars. As Lieutenant Potts pulled up over the train the section of cars he strafed was destroyed by a tremendous explosion, seen by a pilot fifty miles away. The large explosion was followed by continuous smaller explosions until the whole string of cars were destroyed. When he was enveloped in the initial explosion and concussion, which threw his aircraft over five hundred feet in the air, wrinkled the skin of his wings and fuselage, setting wing tanks on fire and shattering the glass of his windscreen and canopy with the resulting serious wounds about the eyes an face. Although bleeding profusely and suffering intense pain, Lieutenant Potts displayed utmost determination in leading his flight safely back to base.