The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Major (Air Corps) Paul James O’Brien (ASN: 0-23924), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as Commanding Officer, 373d Bombardment Squadron, 308th Bombardment Group, FOURTEENTH Air Force, in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations from 21 March 1943 to 1 September 1943. Although often outnumbered, he and his men bravely attacked and inflicted heavy damage upon defending enemy fighters and upon heavily-fortified installations. On 21 August 1943, they made an attack with eighteen heavy bombers on an enemy stronghold located in China. They were attacked by seventy to eighty fighters but continued their attack, destroying fifty-seven Japanese aircraft in the air. The outstanding courage and skill shown by Major O’Brien are in accordance with the fine traditions of the military forces of the United States.