The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Lieutenant, Junior Grade John C. Foster, United States Navy (Reserve Force), for extraordinary heroism as observer in an aeroplane engaged in a raid for bombing the enemy cost near Bruges, Belgium, on 24 July 1918. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Foster’s airplane crashed to the ground and he was severely injured, his left arm being dislocated and fractured. The airplane, which carried sixteen 50-pound bombs, took fire, and it was known that the bombs were certain to explode. In spite of this great and imminent danger, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Foster undertook to rescue the pilot, who was pinned under the wreckage, and succeeded in removing him to a distance of about 40 yards when all of the bombs blew up.