Mitchell Harvey Brown

1st Lieutenant, U. S. Army Air Service

Distinguished Service Cross

GENERAL ORDERS:
War Department, General Orders No. 20 (1919)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Second Lieutenant (Air Service) Mitchell H. Brown, United States Army Air Service, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 50th Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., near Beffu-et-la-Morthomme, France, 23 October 1918.
Lieutenant Brown, observer, piloted by Lieutenant Phillips, while on a reconnaissance for the 78th Division, attacked an enemy balloon and forced it to descend. They were in turn attacked by three enemy planes (Fokker type). The incendiary bullets from the enemy's machine set the signal rockets in Lieutenant Brown's cockpit afire. Disregarding the flames, he continued to fire, destroying one enemy plane and forcing the others to retire. He then used the extinguisher handed him by his pilot and put out the flames. They successfully completed their mission and secured valuable information.