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 Second Lieutenant (Field Artillery) Francis Brown Lowry, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while attached to the 91st Aero Squadron, Coast Artillery Corps, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Crepion, France, 26 September 1918. On 26 September while on a very important photographic mission, Lieutenant Lowry, with Lieutenant Kelty, pilot, realized the importance of the mission and chose to continue their course through a harassing anti-aircraft barrage. A shell made a direct hit on the plane, brought it down in fragments and instantly killed Lieutenant Lowry.