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 Captain (Air Corps), [then First Lieutenant] Vernon Jerome Kramer (ASN: 0-661333), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-40 Fighter Airplane in the 76th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, FOURTEENTH Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 30 July 1943, in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. Captain Kramer took off with a flight of six other fighters to intercept a formation of twenty-one Japanese bombers and eight escorting fighters. When the flight engaged the enemy, Captain Kramer’s aircraft was hit by enemy fire, destroying the hydraulic system and damaging control cables and radio. As a result, Captain Kramer became separated from his flight, but this did not deter his determination to continue the attack. Instead of returning to base with a badly crippled plane, he strove for altitude to make another attack, but was forced to dive away from enemy fighters above him. Never losing sight of the enemy formation, he followed it, finally achieving an altitude advantage when nearly 75 miles from the site of the original attack. Fully aware that he was alone against heavy odds, he dove his crippled plane out of the sun upon the huge hostile force. Then enemy fighters closed in on him from all sides and bombers directed their fire against him, but he pressed the attack. The first burst he fired hit one of the bombers, causing it to fall in flames. Turning, he made another attack and this time badly damaged another bomber. Completing his flight successfully, he returned to his base and landed safely. The heroism of Captain Kramer on this mission was so notable and involved a risk of life so extraordinary as to set him apart from his comrades and is consonant with the finest traditions of the American Military Service.