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Chambers, Reed, MAJ.
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CHAMBERS, REED MCKINLEY
(First Award)
First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army
Pilot, 94th Aero Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group, Air Service, A.E.F.
Date of Action: October 2, 1918
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Reed McKinley Chambers, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Montfaucon and Vilosnes sur Meuse, France, October 2, 1918. At 7. 40 o'clock Lieutenant Chambers saw four enemy machines (Fokker type) attacking another American machine (Spad type). He immediately went to its rescue, and after a few minutes of fierce combat he succeeded in shooting down one.
Other Award: Four Total Awards: Distinguished Service Cross (WWI)
CHAMBERS, REED MCKINLEY
(Second Award)
First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army
Pilot, 94th Aero Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group, Air Service, A.E.F.
Date of Action: September 29, 1918
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Reed McKinley Chambers, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action over the region of Epinonville, France, September 29, 1918. While on a mission Lieutenant Chambers, accompanied by another machine piloted by First Lieutenant Samuel Kaye, Jr. , encountered a formation of six enemy machines (Fokker type) at an altitude of 3, 000 feet. Despite numerical superiority of the enemy, Lieutenant Chambers and Lieutenant Kaye immediately attacked and succeeded in destroying one and forced the remaining five to retreat into their own lines.
Other Comments:
CHAMBERS, REED MCKINLEY
(Third Award)
First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army
Pilot, 94th Aero Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group, Air Service, A.E.F.
Date of Action: October 2, 1918
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Reed McKinley Chambers, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Montfaucon and Vilosnes sur Meuse, France, October 2, 1918. Lieutenant Chambers, while on a mission, at an altitude of 2, 000 feet, encountered an enemy two-seater (Halberstadt type). He immediately attacked, and after a brief combat succeeded in shooting it down.
CHAMBERS, REED MCKINLEY
(Fourth Award)
Captain (Air Service), U.S. Army
Pilot, 94th Aero Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group, Air Service, A.E.F.
Date of Action: October 21, 1918
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Reed McKinley Chambers, Captain (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near the Bois-de-la Cote-Lemonte, France, October 21, 1918. While on a voluntary patrol, Captain Chambers encountered five enemy planes (Fokker type), harassing our Infantry at an altitude of 300 meters. Attacking them without hesitation, he shot down two of them and drove off the others.
Reed McKinley Chambers was a pioneer in the American Aviation industry, as a fighter pilot in World War One, as founder of an early airline, and as founder and chairman of America's first aviation insurance company.
In 1914 he joined the Tennessee National Guard and served in the Mexican border campaign of 1916. When the United States entered World War One in 1917, Chambers received a transfer to the Army Signal Corps as an aviator. He served in the 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron, along with American Ace of Aces Eddie Rickenbacker. Chambers was credited with seven victories over German aircraft. Among his awards were the Distinguished Service Cross with three Oak leaf clusters, the French Legion of Honor, and the Croix de Guerre.
Mexican Service Campaign (1911-1919)
From Month/Year
April / 1911
To Month/Year
June / 1919
Description The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military which was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December 12, 1917. The Mexican Service Medal recognizes those service members who performed military service against Mexican forces between the dates of April 12, 1911 and June 16, 1919.
To be awarded the Mexican Service Medal, a service member was required to perform military duty during the time period of eligibility and in one of the following military engagements.
Veracruz Expedition: April 21 to November 23, 1914
Punitive Expedition into Mexico: March 14, 1916 to February 7, 1917
Buena Vista, Mexico: December 1, 1917
San Bernardino Canyon, Mexico: December 26, 1917
La Grulla, Texas: January 8 – January 9, 1918
Pilares, Chihuahua: March 28, 1918
Nogales, Arizona: November 1–26, 1915, or August 27, 1918
El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua: June 15 – June 16, 1919
The United States Navy issued the Mexican Service Medal to members of the Navy and Marines who participated in any of the above actions, as well as to service members who served aboard U.S. naval vessels patrolling Mexican waters between April 21 and November 26, 1914, or between March 14, 1916, and February 7, 1917.
The Mexican Service Medal was also awarded to any service member who was wounded or killed while participating in action any against hostile Mexican forces between April 12, 1911 and February 7, 1917.
Although a single decoration, both the Army and Navy issued two different versions of the Mexican Service Medal. The Army Mexican Service Medal displayed an engraving of a yucca plant, while the Navy version depicts the San Juan de Ulúa fortress in Veracruz harbor. Both medals displayed the annotation "1911 - 1917" on the bottom of the medal.
The Mexican Service Medal was a one time decoration and there were no service stars authorized for those who had participated in multiple engagements. For those Army members who had been cited for gallantry in combat, the Citation Star was authorized as a device to the Mexican Service Medal. There were no devices authorized for the Navy's version of the decoration.
A similar decoration, known as the Mexican Border Service Medal also existed for those who had performed support duty to Mexican combat expeditions from within the United States.
