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) James Forrest Manning, Jr., United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 49th Aero Squadron, 2d Pursuit Group, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Doulcon, France, 4 October 1918. While leading a patrol of seven planes, Lieutenant Manning accepted combat with 17 German machines (type Fokker) at an altitude of 1,200 meters. Through his courageous leadership and skillful maneuver of his patrol, seven of the enemy planes were snot down.