The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant Robert D. Gibb (ASN: 0-665550), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a P-47 Fighter Pilot in the 342d Fighter Squadron, 348th Fighter Group, FIFTH Air Force, near Arawe, New Britain, on 21 December 1943. Lieutenant Gibb’s P-47 type fighter was one of a formation of seven fighters engaged on a patrol mission when approximately thirty dive bombers were sighted. In the ensuing engagement, he made an astern attack and scored hits on the fuselage of a dive bomber causing the bomber to go down in flames. He then attacked another enemy airplane scoring hits on the fuselage and in the cockpit, apparently killing the pilot. This enemy bomber nosed straight into the sea.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting a Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Third Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant Robert D. Gibb (ASN: 0-665550), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a P-47 Fighter Pilot in the 342d Fighter Squadron, 348th Fighter Group, FIFTH Air Force, over Arawe, New Britain, on 31 December 1943. Lieutenant Gibb was flying one of thirteen P-47D2 type airplanes engaged on a patrol mission when three enemy fighters and five enemy dive bombers were sighted. In the ensuing engagement, Lieutenant Gibb fired two bursts into a dive bomber which veered away from him and crashed into the trees. He then chased another dive bomber, firing at it until the entire back half of the fuselage burst into flames.