Radio Operator / Combat Photographer DFC – WW II

[decwriter]

I bought this Distinguished Flying Cross last year along with an Air Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon bar showing two campaign stars and a few marksmanship badges. The sergeant enlisted on January 28, 1943, and served with the Seventh Air Force. I cross referenced some data with a fellow flier of his who also received the DFC on the same GO. That flier’s obituary mentioned flying in the 30th Bomb Group, 819th Bomb Squadron. I can reasonably infer the sergeant served in the 30th Bomb Group, but without his records from NARA, I’m not sure which bomb squadron he served with.

 

 

I like the engraving on it, although it is not standard. I requested the GOs for this flier and was prepared to receive a generic DFC citation for flying XX number of sorties or XXX amount of operational flight hours in the pacific theater. The citation I received was quite the opposite and a welcome surprise. The sergeant received a single event DFC for his actions as a radio operator and photographer gunner on 23 January 1945.  He also received the AM with five oak leaf clusters while serving with the Seventh Air Force. See DFC GO award card and citation for the DFC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See combat chronology for the Seventh Air Force below. 

 

 

Here's a newspaper article about the flier.

 

 

 

 

[decwriter]

As a follow-up to the original post, I finally found the unit Sgt D’Angelo served with. He was in the 392nd Bombardment Squadron (H), 30th Bombardment Group (H). While I was perusing the unit history, I noticed Sgt D’Angelo’s citation in General Orders No. 68, Seventh Air Force, 5 June 1945 reflected 23 January 1945 for his date of action for a single event DFC, but upon further digging, it appears to be a clerical error and should have reflected 27 January 1945. I viewed the January 1945 unit history and 27 January was mentioned several times due to the damage by a 75mm enemy shell and the heroism and extraordinary achievement and gallantry in action that followed by the co-pilot, navigator and pilot.   

 

I had a hunch that the pilot received a single event decoration if Sgt D’Angelo did. Then I cross referenced award cards for the pilot, copilot, and navigator. I located the Silver Star award card for Lt. Broemer but noticed the second oak leaf cluster GO data was omitted on the AM award cards for Lt.’s Smith and Donnelly. As luck would have it, the AM citations were on the same GO as Lt. Broemer’s Silver Star. All three of these fliers have a Purple Heart award card on file at NARA with the same date, awarding authority, etc.

 

Lt. Broemer's Silver Star award card saved the day for tying in the copilot and navigator's recognition for their actions on 27 January 1945.

 

 

Here are their citations in order on the GO.

 

I am glad to finally narrow down his unit and now know his DFC was awarded for action on 27 January 1945, although the citation reflects a different date.

[rebeldevil89]

Fantastic research! Very interesting reading about all of it. Thank you for preserving this.