Howard T. Fleeson

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Howard T. Fleeson, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Buzancy, France, October 30, 1918. Lieutenant Fleeson accompanied a formation of nine planes on a photographic mission in German territory; six planes turned back before reaching the enemy line, and the remaining three were attacked by 18 Fokker type planes when they had penetrated 12 kilometers into the enemy country. After his two companions, whom he tried to assist, were shot down, Lieutenant Fleeson fought his way back to his own lines, destroying two enemy planes in the combat.

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Howard T. Fleeson, Second Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action in the St. Mihiel salient, France, September 12, 1918. Second Lieutenant Fleeson and Second Lieutenant Dogan H. Arthur, pilot, executed a difficult mission of infantry contact patrol, without protection of accompanying battle planes, on the first day of the St. Mihiel offensive. After being driven back twice by a patrol of 9 enemy planes, they courageously made a third attempt in the face of a third attack by the same planes, found the American lines, and after being shot down, but falling uninjured in friendly territory, communicated their valuable information to headquarters.