James R. Mckay
Distinguished Service Cross
U.S. Army
World War I
General Orders No. 46, W.D., 1919
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to James R. McKay, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Doulcon, France, October 4, 1918. When a patrol of seven planes attacked a group of 17 enemy planes (Fokker type) Lieutenant McKay left the combat after his plane was crippled by enemy fire and remained above to protect from that direction. Without regard to his own danger he attacked alone five more enemy planes which dived into the combat and, pressing the attack, succeeded in breaking up their formation and shooting down one of the enemy planes.