Edward Orr

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Edward Orr, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action in the Toul sector, France, August 28, 1918. Lieutenant Orr, flying with Lieutenant Phil A. Henderson, infantry, observer, on an unprotected reconnaissance mission, encountered a patrol of eight enemy pursuit planes near the American balloon line. The patrol was sighted just as one of them dived on the balloon with the intention of destroying it. Without hesitation, Lieutenant Orr attacked this plane and followed it to within 50 meters, firing his single front gun against the double guns with which the German plane was equipped. In the meantime Lieutenant Henderson engaged the other eight planes, which attacked from the rear. After a violent combat, all of the enemy planes were driven off. On September 14, 1918, Lieutenant Orr was accidentally killed.