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) Walton B. Ten Eyck, Jr., United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 96th Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Birquenay, France, 27 October 1918. While engaged on a voluntary bombing mission, Lieutenant Ten Eyck was attacked by seven enemy planes (Fokker Type). Although seriously wounded, he maneuvered his plane so skillfully that his observer was able to drive off the enemy planes. In the combat his plane was struck by 25 enemy bullets, some of which exploded the magazines of the observer’s guns. In spite of his wounds and the damage to his machine he succeeded in landing safely on a strange field.