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) George Ray Phillips, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 50th Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Beffu et la Morthomme, France, 23 October 1918. Lieutenant Phillips, pilot, accompanied by Lieutenant Mitchell H. Brown, observer, while on a reconnaissance for the 78th Division, attacked an enemy balloon and forced it to descend, and was in turn attacked by three enemy planes (Fokker type). The incendiary bullets from the enemy’s machines set the signal rockets in the observer’s cockpit afire. Disregarding the possibility of going down in names, Lieutenant Phillips maneuvered his plane so that his observer was able to fire on and destroy one enemy plane and drive the others away. He then handed his fire extinguisher to Lieutenant Brown, who extinguished the flames. They completed their mission and secured valuable information.