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) William Portwood Erwin, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 1st Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., in the Chateau-Thierry and St. Mihiel Salients, France. Lieutenant Erwin, with Second Lieutenant Byrne E. Baucom, observer, by a long period of faithful and heroic operations, set an inspiring example of courage and devotion to duty to his entire squadron. Throughout the Chateau-Thierry actions, in June and July, 1918, he flew under the worst weather conditions and successfully carried out his missions in the face of heavy odds. In the St. Mihiel sector, September 12 – 15, 1918, he repeated his previous courageous work. He flew as low as 50 feet from the ground behind the enemy’s lines, harassing German troops with machine-gun fire and subjecting himself to attack from ground batteries, machine-guns, and rifles. He twice drove off enemy planes which were attempting to destroy an American observation balloon. On September 12 and 13, 1918, he flew at extremely low altitudes and carried out infantry contact patrols successfully. Again on September 12 he attacked a German battery, forced the crew to abandon it, shot off of his horse a German officer who was trying to escape, drove the cannoneers to their dugouts, and kept them there until the infantry could come up and capture them.