Sumner Sewall

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Sumner Sewall, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Rocourt, France, July 7, 1918. Lieutenant Sewall fearlessly attacked a formation of five enemy planes (type K Fokker) and separated one from the group, pursued it far behind the enemy’s lines and sent it down in crash, following it within 30 meters of the ground in spite of severe fire from a machine-gun, rifles, and anti-aircraft guns, bullets from which passed through his clothing.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Sumner Sewall, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for repeated acts of extraordinary heroism in action near Menil-la-Tour, France, June 3, 1918, and near Landres-St.-Georges, France, October 13, 1918. On June 3, Lieutenant Sewall with two other pilots attacked a formation of sis hostile planes. Through his companions were forced to withdraw because of jammed guns, he continued in the fight for 15 minutes and succeeded in sending one of his adversaries down in flames. On October 18, while on a voluntary patrol, this officer saw an American observation plane being attacked by a German machine (Fokker type), accompanied by eight other hostile planes. He immediately attacked and destroyed the Fokker and was in turn attacked by the eight planes. By skillful maneuvering he evaded them and escorted the observation plane back to our lines.