Benjamin F. Warmer’s Distinguished Service Cross citation

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to

Staff Sergeant Benjamin Franklin Warmer

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Right Waist Gunner on a B-17 Heavy Bomber in the 348th Squadron, 99th Bombardment Group (H), TWELFTH Air Force, while participating in aerial combat over Gerbini airdrome, Sicily, on 5 July 1943. Staff Sergeant Warmer shot down an ME-109 in flames as a formation of 30 fighters attacked his element. A few minutes later he destroyed two more ME-109s, forcing the pilots to bail out. Again two more attacked. One of these exploded under the accurate fire of Sergeant Warmer’s gun. The other went down in flames. Replenishing his ammunition, Sergeant Warmer shot down a sixth fighter. Then, as five more ME-109s attacked, he destroyed his seventh. The extraordinary heroism and super marksmanship reflect great credit upon Sergeant Warmer and the Air Corps of the United States Army.