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WFPric.1I -ohciA.i*kJerry Rodgers Awarded Distinguished Flying CrossWith ; the 12th AAF in' Sardinia- ,Staff Jerry W. Rodgers of[receiRogers, Ark,, has been awarded the'cent Distinguished Flying Cross for his; bring heroic achievements as a/tail gunner jriow wit.h a Twelfth Air Force R-26 Mar- The aiidor group here in Sardinia. ■'Painfully wounded, . the. ^plexiglasscover of his tail turret shot away and his gun sights shot • off -all this ■white his Marauder was in an nn- port controlled dive -Sergeant Rodgers j dozei heroically stuck to his guns and fired deale 2000 rounds at a score of Nazi fighter farm planes; shooting two of thorn down | cent and damaging several others. by teffect to M Fort Onthei eggsbKeWhen the enemy had been beatenj off, hc helped » woundup .comrade, j parachute to safety before he made! 23 cr j la is own escape. . •■I The citation accompanying Sergeant OKA Rodgers' award states, in part: j AT“For extraordinary ‘ achievement•! while participating in aerial flight as i Cr; rear gunner of a R-26 type nircrsii’t. ! (-Umii | On January 29,- 1944, while flying with a large formation in an attack on the railroad bridge at Manaiuna.Italy., heavy anU-aircrnft file register-jod many hits on Sergeant - Rodger:Th«vcmco usairplane, destroying the electrical jPl'idsystem and forcing it to drop from!^atuan$formation. j' ‘Immediately more than 15 . °F\Y- i 190’s and MR-109's attacked the dls-! abled bomber, and in a 2(\ minute; battle enemy fire painfully • wounded [ Sergeant Rodgers, destroyed the con- \ [trols and hydraulic system, set. one! j engine' afire, shattered the plexiglass l | cover of the tail turret and . shot off ‘the sights of Sergeant Rodgers' guns.! ' “Unable to hcai- the pilot's order jto abandon ship a?, the airplane wentmen i8:30■ n v i (DR/UNIDr age Nat i ters subj•into an uncontrolled dive. SergeantRodgers,. despite intense pain, deter-■ re pi;d'taKndnedly remained at his post andi,,^. displaying outstanding professional i~'• skill without benefit-of sights, fired ’ R ;2600 rounds of ammunition, shooting ; two enemy aircraft down .and damaging several others.: Only when the enemy fighters• broke off combat did Sergeant Rudigers leave his gun position. He then I went to the aid of a wounded waist : gunner and, with the assistance of a j comrade, revived the unconscious ! soldier, enabling him to. aecompgnjbegagiportinteto 1fin itinnatimencepti others of, the. crew in parachuting!': ore! safely over friendly territory, Hi« i•Allfortitude, cool efficiency and steadfast!! devotion to duty-- reflect great' credit j upon himself anti the Armed Forces 'wis! on the. United States, UvaiSergeant Rodgers' home address Is j dc.j 101 Tj North First Street. i(,1Si' - r mn t
Newspaper Details
Journal Advance
Gentry, Arkansas, US
Thu, May 18, 1944
Page 3
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