The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Army Award) to Aviation Machinist’s Mate Second Class Casimer John Bogacz (NSN: 3009315), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight over Wakde Island on 5 April 1944. These PBY crew members departed on a long-range night flight to bomb planes and dispersal areas at the Japanese Base. A heavy anti-aircraft barrage was encountered while approaching the target, but the airplane descended in a power dive to 400 feet and one-half of the bomb load was dropped on the north east end of the runway. In this run, several shrapnel hits were sustained, seriously damaging the aircraft. One engine was left burning, a fire was started in the tail section, the hydraulic system was destroyed, and hydraulic and gasoline were streaming into the bomb bay. Despite the damaged condition of the aircraft, the crew extinguished the flames and pressed another run, but sufficient altitude could not be attained to drop the bombs. On the return flight, three of the crew members stood in a slippery catwalk over the open bomb bay doors for ninety minutes and worked without parachutes until the doors were closed manually and the gas leaks repaired. Upon reaching the base a landing was made in which none of the personnel was injured. The outstanding courage and devotion to duty displayed on this occasion are worthy of highest commendation.