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) James Martin Richardson, 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 Grand Pre, France, 6 October 1918. Second Lieutenant Richardson undertook an infantry contact patrol mission under weather conditions which necessitated flying at an altitude of only 100 meters. Near the front lines machine-guns opened an effective fire on his plane, and he was wounded in the foot, but he continued on the mission until the front lines of the American troops were located and his observer had written out a report for the division commander.