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 Young Stokes, Jr., United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 27th Aero Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Etain, France, 16 September 1918. After their own formation had been broken up, Lieutenant Stokes and his pilot voluntarily continued on their bombing mission with planes from another squadron. Although their plane was thrown out of control by anti-aircraft fire, they proceeded to their objective and dropped their bombs. Their motor then died completely, and they were attacked by an enemy combat plane, but they fought off the attacking machine and reached the allied lines, where their plane crashed in a forest.