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 Second Lieutenant (Air Service) Horace A. Lake, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 90th Aero Squadron, 3d Observation Group, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Bethlainville, France, November 4 – 5, 1918. Lieutenant Lake, observer, and First Lieutenant Bertrande C. Neidecker, pilot, volunteered for an important mission over the enemy’s lines. Flying through fog and rain they penetrated 30 kilometers behind the enemy’s lines and succeeded in surprising an important movement of enemy troops, descended to within 60 meters of the ground to harass the enemy troops trains and returned with information of the enemy which was of vital importance to the operations of the Allied Forces. On the following day they again flew over the enemy’s lines and, although attacked by three patrols of hostile enemy aircraft and by anti-aircraft and machine-gun fire, they accomplished their mission and returned with important information.