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) John Hanson Michener, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 1st Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Varennes, France, 4 October 1918. First Lieutenant Michener was assigned the mission of locating the front lines of our troops at a time when dense mist and low clouds compelled him to fly at an altitude of only 100 meters. His observer’s signal rockets drew fire from, an advanced hostile machine-gun battery and Lieutenant Michener was wounded in the leg. Despite his wound, he continued the mission until the position of our troops was ascertained. He was then compelled to land on shell-torn ground behind the lines, the plane being completely wrecked.