Headquarters, China Air Task Force, General Orders No. 19 (December 20, 1942)
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel (Air Corps) Clinton D. Vincent (ASN: 0-20189), United States Army Air Forces, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Pilot of a Fighter Airplane of the 23d Fighter Group, TENTH Air Force, in action in East China during the period 22 to 27 November 1942. Lieutenant Colonel Vincent, immediately after reporting for duty at this headquarters, accompanied the mission over East China from 22 November to 27 November, when seven raids were made in five days. He volunteered in each and every one of these missions, and flew actively in six of them. In his very first raid he went low and strafed enemy shipping and installations. Over Canton, on 27 November 1942, he aggressively attacked and shot down an enemy fighter and delivered fire on several others in an action where our forces were faced by superior numbers of the enemy. The voluntary acts of this staff officer in engaging in six out of the first seven combats of the China Air Task Force on a most active front, and the coolness, gallantry and intrepidity of his flying was an example to the officers and men of this command.