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 Second Lieutenant (Air Corps) Nolan Wayne Klepinger (ASN: 0-698573), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Bombardier of a B-24 Heavy Bomber in the 374th Bombardment Squadron, 308th Bombardment Group (H), FOURTEENTH Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 15 October 1944, against enemy surface targets in China Theater of Operations. Second Lieutenant Klepinger was Bombardier on a lone B-24 type aircraft on a sea sweep along the China Coast when the enemy Naval Task Force was sighted. He held the course straight to the target even thought his plane was subjected to intense enemy gunfire, realizing that to take the normal evasive action in approaching the target might allow the Task Force to successfully complete its assigned mission. Four bomb runs at the low level of four hundred feet resulting in the sinking of a Japanese cruiser and destroyer. Lieutenant Klepinger insisted that only three bombs be use per run in order to enable him to make more runs to the target instead of the dumping of the load on only one run and one vessel. He completed four runs, three more than any other plane could have been expected to make and had performed a tremendous air-sea bombing exploit. The exceptional courage, heroism, cool judgment and bombing skill demonstrated by Lieutenant Klepinger in dropping only three bombs per run in spite of almost certain destruction from enemy anti-aircraft fire reflects the highest credit upon himself and upon the Army Air Force. The personal courage and zealous devotion to duty displayed by Second Lieutenant Klepinger on this occasion have upheld the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 14th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.