The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Wilma S. Fowler, United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on 12 June 1943, as Pilot of a plane of Navy Composite Squadron NINE (VC-9), when an enemy submarine was sunk. When planes of Composting Squadron NINE depth charged and sank a German submarine in a coordinated attack, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Fowler, in a fighter plane, so accurately and aggressively strafed the enemy submarine that effective anti-aircraft fire was prevented and the submarine was destroyed and its crew captured without damage to the attacking planes. The skillful coordination of strafing with bombing by Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Fowler contributed materially to the sinking of this submarine. The airmanship and aggressiveness displayed by Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Fowler in this attack reflect great credit upon the United States Naval Service.

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Wilma S. Fowler, United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight during World War II, for his attacks against two U-boats in the Atlantic theater. Despite numerous hits on his plane, Lieutenant Fowler dropped three depth bombs close to one submarine. One bomb exploded directly under the stern. He then flew his badly damaged plane back to his carrier and landed safely.