The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Flight Officer Willard Raphiel Duff (ASN: 0-1703087/T-185037), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as Pilot of a P-38 Thunderbolt Fighter Airplane of the 94th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, FIFTEENTH Air Force, in action against the enemy in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. While leading a flight of P-38’s on a bomber escort mission over ******, Austria, on 7 January 1944, Flight Officer Duff’s formation was attacked by approximately fifty enemy fighters. Greatly outnumbered, the P-38 formation was broken up by the enemy’s repeated attacks. Observing a lone P-38 on a single engine being continually attacked by four FW-190’s, Flight Officer Duff immediately turned back to aid his helpless comrade. Though outnumbered four to one, he engaged these enemy fighters, breaking up their tactical formation and forcing them to withdraw. Hovering protectively above his fellow pilot, Flight Officer Duff remained with this crippled P-38 despite repeated attacks by hostile fighters. In a running fight which lasted for thirty minutes, Flight Officer Duff courageously fought off an unaccounted number of vicious attacks until the enemy was finally forced to retire. The courage and coolness displayed by Flight Officer Duff in saving the life of his helpless comrade, together with his leadership and devotion to duty as evidenced throughout over thirty-seven combat sorties against the enemy, reflects great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.