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 (Infantry) L. Elmer Pendell, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 168th Aero Squadron (Attached), 120th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Rembercourt and Charey, France, 4 November 1918. As observer in a DH-4 plane, Lieutenant Pendell flew an infantry contact machine over the line of the 7th Division. Because of exceedingly adverse weather conditions, Lieutenant Pendell disregarded the danger of fire from the ground and crossed the lines at 1,000 feet altitude. While thus flying he was wounded in the shoulder by an explosive bullet fired from the ground. Disregarding his wound, he came down to an altitude as low as 500 feet. After securing the desired information he wrote out his message with great effort and dropped it to the division.