Navy Federal Credit Union

Awards Received

  • Silver Star

    Service:

    United States Army

    Rank:

    Second Lieutenant (Field Artillery), [then Staff Sergeant]

    Division:

    34th Infantry Division

    Action Date:

    June 27, 1943

    Headquarters, 34th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 119 (October 30, 1944)

    The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Second Lieutenant (Field Artillery), [then Staff Sergeant] Billie O. Bishop (ASN: 0-1691882), United States Army, for gallantry in action as a member of the 34th Infantry Division, in action on 27 June 1943, in the vicinity of Sassetta, Italy. Lieutenant Bishop, Artillery Liaison Pilot, flew his plane over our forward Infantry lines with the mission of observing and directing artillery fire upon enemy troops. Unable to determine the positive identity of the troops due to the poor visibility, Lieutenant Bishop lowered his altitude to 500 feet, drawing considerable fire from dug-in enemy positions, thus enabling his observer to positively identify the troops as hostile. Despite the continuous machine gun and small arms fire directed at his plane, Lieutenant Bishop stayed well in enemy territory, enabling his observer to locate a formation of approximately one battalion of enemy infantrymen. The courage and determination displayed by Lieutenant Bishop enabled our artillery to bring effective fire on the enemy troops who were forming for a counter-attack.