"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 Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest, III (ASN: 0-17124), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Chief of Staff for the SECOND Air Force and an Observer in a B-17 Heavy Bomber of the EIGHTH Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 13 June 1943, against enemy ground targets in the European Theater of Operations. While in command of a bomber division of an operational bombing mission against a vital military target, the formation was subjected to heavy antiaircraft fire and enemy aircraft attacks, during which a number of the planes in the division were shot down, and the plane in which General Forrest was flying was damaged before reaching the target.