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39th Bomb Group (VH)
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Award of Distinguished Flying Cross
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HEADQUATERS TWENTIETH AIR FORCE
APO 234, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco California

GENERAL ORDERS )    
4 September 1945
NO . . . . . . . . 53) -
Section XVIII

         AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED-FLYING-CROSS--By direction of the President, under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 2 July 1926 (Bull 8, WD 1926), and persuant to authority delegated by Headquaters United States Army Strategic Air Forces in letter, file AG 323; subject: "Ddefinitions of Administrative Responsibilities", dated 6 August 1945, announcement is made of the award of the Distinguished-Flying-Cross to the following named officers and enlisted men of the 60th Bombardment Squadron, 39th Bombardment Group.

         For extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight 5 June 1945. These individuals were combat crew members of a B-29 aircraft in the highly successful strike from a base in the Marianas against the urban area of the industrial city of Kobe, Japan. Between the initial point and the target, and intense and accurate concentration of heavy caliber anti-aircraft fire was thrown up by enemy ground installations. In addition, hostile fighters made many vicious attacks in an effort to break up their formation. In spite of this determined defense, however, these crewmen, with cool courage and outstanding skill, pressed on to the objective. They released their bombs squarely in the target area with devastating effect. Shortly after bombs away , they maneuvered their airplane out of formation to give protective cover to a straggling B-29 that had sustained severe damage from interceptor attacks. They escorted this plane out of the target area despite continuing agressive fighter assaults and flak and accompanied it safely back to base. The courage of these veterans of repeated assaults against the Japanese homeland and deep devotion to duty contributed materially to the successful prosecution of the air war and reflect great credit on themselves and the Army Air Forces.

First Lieutenant ARTHUR ANDREW, (then Second Lieutenant), Air Corps, United States Army, as Bombardier.

First Lieutenant DONALD A. BARTON, Air Corps, United States Army, as Airplane Commander.

First Lieutenant GORDON L. PETERS, (then Second Lieutenant), Air Corps, United States Army, as Radar Observer.

First Lieutenant PHILLIP SCHILD, (then Second Lieutenant), Air Corps, United States Army, as Pilot.

Master Sergeant JAMES E. LEWIS, Air Corps, United States Army, as Flight Engineer.

Technical Sergeant SIDNEY BERNSTEIN, (then Staff Sergeant), Air Corps, United States Army, as Central Fire Control Gunner.

Staff Sergeant JOSEPH J. DUNNE, (then Sergeant), Air Corps, United States Army, as Blister Gunner.

Staff Sergeant WILLIAM H. FLEISCHMAN, Air Corps, United States Army, as Radio Operator.

Staff Sergeant JASON L. SOX JR., (then Sergeant), Air Corps, United States Army, as Blister Gunner.

Sergeant ALBERT L. KYLER, Air Corps, United States Army, as Tail Gunner.


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Sources: GO 53 Sec 18 dated 4 Sep 1945 HQ 20th AF