Cleo Jepson Ross

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Cleo Jepson Ross, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Brabant, France, September 26, 1918. Lieutenant Ross was engaged in an important observation, regulating artillery fire, when his balloon was attacked by enemy planes. One of the planes dived from a cloud and fired at the balloon, setting fire to it, and although he could have jumped from the basket at once he refused to leave until his companion, a student observer, had jumped. Lieutenant Ross then leaped, but it was too late, for the burning balloon dropped on his parachute. He was dashed to the ground from a height of 300 meters and killed instantly.