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) Cleveland William McDermott, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 147th Aero Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Bantheville, France, 18 October 1918. In starting on a patrol mission Lieutenant McDermott was delayed by motor trouble. Unable to overtake the other machines, he continued on alone. Sighting an enemy Fokker, he immediately gave chase, and despite its effort to escape, succeeded in shooting it down. Six Fokkers then suddenly attacked him, and though he was outnumbered and blinded by the sun, he shot down one of them and scattered the others. In the midst of this combat his motor stopped, and he was forced to glide into friendly territory.