Joseph A. Palmer

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Joseph A. Palmer, Second Lieutenant (Field Artillery), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Fismes, France, August 11, 1918. John W. Jordan, second lieutenant, 7th Field Artillery, observer; Roger W. Hitchcock, second lieutenant, pilot; James S. D. Burns, deceased, second lieutenant, 165th Infantry, observer; Joel H. McClendon, deceased, first lieutenant, pilot; Charles W. Plummer, deceased, second lieutenant, 101st Field Artillery, observer; Philip R. Babcock, first lieutenant, pilot; and Louis G. Bernheimer, first lieutenant, pilot. All of these men were attached to the 88th Aero Squadron, Air Service. Under the protection of three pursuit planes, each carrying a pilot and an observer, Lieutenants Bernheimer and Jordan, in charge of a photo plane, carried out successfully a hazardous photographic mission over the enemy’s lines to the River Aisne. The four American ships were attacked by 12 enemy battle planes. Lieutenant Bernheimer, by coolly and skillfully maneuvering his ship, and Lieutenant Jordan, by accurate operation of his machine-gun, in spite of wounds in the shoulder and leg, aided materially in the victory which came to the American ships, and returned safely with 36 valuable photographs. The pursuit plane operated by Lieutenants Hitchcock and Burns was disabled while these two officers were fighting effectively. Lieutenant Burns was mortally wounded and his body jammed the controls. After a headlong fall of 2,500 meters, Lieutenant Hitchcock succeeded in regaining control of his plane and piloted it back to his airdrome. Lieutenants McClendon and Plummer were shot down and killed after a vigorous combat with five of the enemy’s planes. Lieutenants Babcock and Palmer, by gallant and skillful fighting, aided in driving off the German planes and were materially responsible for the successful execution of the photographic mission.