(Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Robert James Gallagher (ASN: 0-726367), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a B-24 Heavy Bomber in the 515th Bombardment Squadron, 376th Bombardment Group (H), NINTH Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 23 May 1944, against enemy ground targets in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. On that date, First Lieutenant Gallagher’s bomber participated in a mission to bomb enemy troops and supplies at Frascati, Italy. The anti-aircraft fire was both accurate and intense. Lieutenant Gallagher’s aircraft received a direct hit underneath the waist windows which traveled upwards and exploded. The entire top of the bomber was blown out from the radio antenna to aft of the waist windows. Two life rafts and several parachutes were blown out by the explosion and several of his men were wounded. Other serious damage was rendered to the bomber. Rather than order the unwounded men, and the men with parachutes, bail out and save their own lives while the wounded, and men who had lost their chutes in the blast remained to go down with the stricken ship, Lieutenant Gallagher chose to press on. Despite the terrible damage inflicted to the bomber, he piloted it out to sea to jettison of his load of bombs and then head his crippled aircraft for Naples. All went well until within sight of the airfield at Naples, when suddenly, the crippled bomber went out of control and crashed to the ground. The personal courage and zealous devotion to duty displayed by First Lieutenant Gallagher on this occasion, at the cost of his life, have upheld the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 9th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.