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National Geographic : 1919 Dec
Contents
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE American Red Cross. Through her great efforts and devotion to duty eighteen thousand seven hundred and thirty-two nurses were secured and transferred to the Army Nurse Corps for service dur ing the war. Thus she was a great factor in assisting the Medical Department in caring for the sick and wounded." The illustrations show (see Nos. 7 and 24) that the ribbons of the Army and Navy Distinguished Service Medals are not the same, and this is the only excep tion to the general rule, as in all other cases the Army and Navy have identical ribbons, although the designs of the medals are different. The same bronze oak-leaf cluster that is used with the Medal of Honor for a second award is also applicable to the Distinguished Service Medal (see Dis tinguished Service Cross service ribbon illustration, page 505) ; but, as in the case of the valor decoration, no such award has yet been made. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS The Distinguished Service Cross (No. 4) is purely an Army decoration and is bestowed as a reward for individual acts of "extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy" not warranting the award of the Medal of Honor. Several bronze oak-leaf clusters have been bestowed in lieu of a second award, as instanced by the following citations: "By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress ap proved July 9, 1918, the distinguished service cross was awarded by the com manding general, American Expedition ary Forces, for extraordinary heroism in action in Europe, to the following-named officers and enlisted men of the American Expeditionary Forces: "JULIUS AARONSON, private, Company G, Io9th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism in action near Apremont, France, October 7, 1918. When his company was suddenly fired upon by enemy machine guns during an advance and forced to seek shelter, Pvt. AARONSON remained in the open under a continuous shower of machine-gun bullets, caring for eight wounded men, dressing their wounds and securing their evacuation. "For the following act of extraordinary heroism in action near Apremont, France, on the same date, Pvt. AARONSON is awarded an oak-leaf cluster to be worn with the distinguished-service cross: Having become separated from his com pany and wounded by a bullet which pierced his helmet, he advanced alone on a machine-gun nest across an open field in broad daylight, killed the gunner and captured two of the crew, whom he pressed into the service of carrying wounded." FOUR LEAVES ON AN AIRMAN'S CROSS The experiences of Lieutenant Hunter, of the Air Service, as given in the official citations, form most interesting reading: "FRANK O'D. HUNTER, first lieuten ant, Air Service, pilot, Io3d Aero Squad ron. For extraordinary heroism in action in the region of Ypres, Belgium, June 22, 1918, Lieut. HUNTER, while on patrol, alone attacked two enemy biplanes, de stroying one and forcing the other to re tire. In the course of the combat he was wounded in the forehead. Despite his injuries he succeeded in returning his damaged plane to his own aerodrome. "A bronze oak leaf, for extraordinary heroism in action in the region of Cham pey, France, September 13, 1918. He, accompanied by one other plane, attacked an enemy patrol of six planes. Despite numerical superiority and in a decisive combat, he destroyed one enemy plane and, with the aid of his companion, forced the others within their own lines. "A bronze oak leaf, for extraordinary heroism in action near Verneville, France. September 17, 1918. Leading a patrol of three planes, he attacked an enemy for mation of eight planes. Although out numbered, they succeeded in bringing down four of the enemy. Lieut. HUNTER accounted for two of these. "A bronze oak leaf, for extraordinary heroism in action in the region of Liny devant-Dun, France. While separated from his patrol he observed an allied patrol of seven planes (Breguets) hard pressed by an enemy formation of Io 496
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