The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Staff Sergeant [then Sergeant] Joseph P. Callahan, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a member of the 421st Bombardment Squadron, 504th Bombardment Group, on 28 April 1945 from a base in the Mariana Islands. These individuals were combat crew members of a B-29 aircraft on a daylight formation raid against the important East Kanoya airfield on Kyushu Island, Japan, used by the enemy to stage strafing and bombing attacks against United States forces on nearby Okinawa. At the assembly point, they were subjected to aggressive attack from ten fighter planes, but despite this they succeeded in joining the formation. A phosphorous bomb struck the plane during the bomb run, causing the loss of one engine, but these veterans of repeated combat missions against the home islands of Japan held their place and dropped their bombs directly on the target area, destroying several parked planes and severely damaging runways and hangers. They fought a gunning battle with Japanese fighters from the target to land’s end, shooting down one of the attackers. With one engine inoperative, they brought their ship back safely to base across 1500 miles of open sea. Their courage, teamwork and determination to carry the attack to the enemy despite damage to their own plane reflect great credit on themselves and the Army Air Forces.