The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Distinguished Service Medal to Lieutenant, Junior Grade R. H. McCann, United States Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as Second Pilot of Airplane No. 4082, operating off Killingholme, England, on 28 October 1918. Another plane carrying a crew of four men fell to the water from a considerable height and was wrecked, the occupants being pinned under the debris, and shortly afterwards the gasoline, which covered the surface of the water, took fire. Plane No. 4082 immediately made a landing close to the wreck, and Lieutenant, Junior Grade, McCann dove overboard and came up in the midst of the burning gasoline, seeking to rescue the men of the wrecked plane. He continued diving, completely disregarding the danger to himself and only desisted when it was certain that nothing was to be accomplished by continuing longer.