The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Air Service) Robert E. Thompson, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 96th Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., between Chambley and Xammes, France, 13 September 1918. While acting as observer of a flight of three airplanes they were attacked by a flight of fifteen enemy airplanes. Despite the fact that his formation was surrounded by overwhelming numbers of the enemy, Lieutenant Thompson continued his mission and bombed his objective. In the fight which followed Lieutenant Thompson and his pilot fought gallantly, thus enabling another airplane of the flight to return with valuable information of the enemy. In this fight Lieutenant Thompson’s airplane was shot down and both he and his pilot were killed when their airplane crashed to the ground.