The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to John Marshall Toomey, United States Army Air Forces, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving as a Member of the Air Crew a B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber in the 9th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), TENTH Air Force, in aerial operations in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, on 3 June 1942. On that date his bomber was part of a two-plane flight that flew a daylight mission to bomb shipping in the Irrawaddy River in Burma. During the course of the bombing, it was attacked by a squadron of Zeros and other unidentified aircraft. When the bomber reached cloud cover about 15 or 20 minutes later, the crew had shot down at least four enemy aircraft. A fire in the bomb bay forced some members of the crew to bail out, but the pilot continued to remain airborne until the bomber crash-landed in a rice paddy near the allied lines. The gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty demonstrated by Staff Sergeant Malok, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army Air Forces.