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 Captain (Air Service) Dogan Humphries Arthur, 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 St. Mihiel salient 12 September 1918. Lieutenant Arthur, pilot, and Second Lieutenant Howard T. Fleeson, observer, executed a difficult mission of infantry contact patrol, without protection of accompanying battle planes, on the first day of the St. Mihiel offensive. After being driven back twice by a patrol of nine enemy planes, they courageously made a third attempt in the face of a third attack by the same planes, found the American lines, and after being shot down, but falling uninjured in friendly territory, communicated their valuable information to headquarters.


