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) Andre August Hendrick Gundelach, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 96th Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Buxieres, France, 12 September 1918. Lieutenant Gundelach, with Second Lieutenant Pennington H. Way, observer, volunteered for a hazardous mission to bomb concentrations of enemy troops. They successfully bombed their objective, but while returning were attacked by eight enemy planes. Their plane was brought down in flames and both officers killed.