Benjamin P. Harwood

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Benjamin P. Harwood, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Chateau-Thierry, France, July 5, 1918. Lieutenant Harwood volunteered with another plane to protect a photograph plane. In the course of their mission they were attacked by seven planes (Fokker type). Lieutenant Harwood accepted the combat and kept the enemy engaged while the photographic plane completed its mission. His guns jammed and he himself was seriously wounded. After skillfully clearing his guns, with his plane badly damaged, he fought off the hostile planes and enabled the photographic plane to return to our lines with valuable information.