George R. Phillips

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to George R. Phillips, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Beffu et la Morthomme, France, October 23, 1918. Lieutenant Phillips, pilot, accompanied by Lieutenant Mitchell H. Brown, observer, while on a reconnaissance for the 78th Division, attacked an enemy balloon and forced it to descend, and was in turn attacked by three enemy planes (Fokker type). The incendiary bullets from the enemy’s machines set the signal rockets in the observer’s cockpit afire. Disregarding the possibility of going down in names, Lieutenant Phillips maneuvered his plane so that his observer was able to fire on and destroy one enemy plane and drive the others away. He then handed his fire extinguisher to Lieutenant Brown, who extinguished the flames. They completed their mission and secured valuable information.