He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism while serving as a corporal assigned to the 3rd Battalion Headquarters, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 6th Division as World War I was slowly drawing to an end. On 7 November 1918, near Laneauville, France, the then Corporal Lohmann displayed fearless devotion to duty in maintaining telephone lines while his battalion was in action. On one occasion, he voluntarily accompanied an officer and, under heavy fire, repaired a telephone line which was severed 15 times in two hours within a length of only one kilometer.