Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-12-20
By the Associated Press.


P. Kelly. jr., who became the No.
American hero in the second World
War by destroying japanese
battleship, was killed in the flaming
crash of his bomber after ordering
his crew of six to save themselves,
the Far Eastern command an
nounced today in awarding him the
Distinguished Service Cross.
Capt. Kelly and u other officers
and men, two of them Filipinos,
were honored with the decoration,
the highest Army award except for
the Congressional Medal, for show
ing extraordinary bravery, often
against superior japanese odds
Three awards, including Capt.
Kelly's, were made posthumously.
1.-TWO other Army flyers, Second
Its. George S. WEIGH and Ken
meth M. Taylor. were awarded
the D. S. c. yesterday, the War
Department announced here, for
their exploit in shooting down 6
japanese planes during the at
tack on Oahu
The announcement at the head
quarters of Gen. Douglas MacAr-
thur, commander of the United
States Army of the Far East, was
accompanied by a description OF the
various deeds which combined to
provide a thrilling narrative OF eX-
ploits in the first few days OF the
war.
1t told the first story of Capt.
Kelly's death after scoring three
direct hits on the battleship Haruna
near APART December 9, and 1t re-
vealed for the first time that the
men with Capt. Kelly in the plane
were saved.
The official announcement said
First 1t. Boyd Wagner of the Air
Corps also is to be cited for the
DISTINGUISHED Service Cross but
there has been some delay in OBJ
tanning the facts
1t was reliably reported that the
delay is due to the fact that Buzz
Wagner's already legendary exploits
usually have been carried out single
handed. He is credited with shoot
ing down three Japanese planes
and destroying up to II on the
ground.
Fellow pilots relate that as Wag-
ner rolled out of one dogfight he
caught another Japanese plane in
his gunsights while still flying up
side down, that he squeezed the
trigger and shot the wings of the
japanese plane, then rolled over and
pitched into another group OF Jap
anese
while his airplane was a focal
point of fire from strong hostile
naval forces. Capt. Kelly exhibited
a high degree of valor and skill,
placing three direct hits upon an
enemy battleship resulting in its
destruction. the citation said.
En- route to his home air field
upon completion of his mission. his
airplane was set on fire by an attack
of two enemy fighters. This officer
, ordered his crew to bail out.
Six men saved themselves there
by, but Capt. Kelly, the last to leave
the burning plane, was killed in the
resulting crash"
The Distinguished Service Cross
also was awarded posthumously to
First 1t. Samuel H. Marett of At
lanta, Ga, who is survived by his
widow, of New Braunfels. Tex.
The citation on 1t. Marett said
that on December 10 he took part
in action near Vigan, 200 miles
north of Manila. where the Japan
csc landed troops.
although warned that the enemy
landing forces we're well equipped
with protective fire. the award
read, 1t Marett courageously lee
his squadron with markedly inferior
armament in concentrated attack
on an enemy transport.
Against fury of protective fire
he and his comrades Strafed and re-
strafed the invaders. causing great
panic and destruction upon thu
troops packed ships. Two trans
ports burst into flames.
I'm one final and successful
straight dive against third trans
port his airplane was caught in thu
resulting blast of the exploding
transport and together with the in
trepid pilot was destroyed"
The two Filipinos honored wer
Capt. Jesus A Villamor of the Phil
ippine Air Corps, who also wa
awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster, ant
Third 1t. Jose P. Gozer of the Phil
ippine Air Corps on Mindor Island.
Other Awards Listed.
The other awards and the neares
of kin to the men honored were
Pvt. First Glass, Graley B. Will
liams. father, Arthur S. Williams
Iowa City, Iowa.
First 1t. Joseph Moore, wife, Mr.
Virl L. Moore, Spartanburg, S. c.
First 1t. Grant M. Mahoney
+ mother, Mrs. H. G.. Mahoney, Val
lejo, Calf.
} Technical Sergt. Anthony Holul
} wife, Mrs. Katherine M. Holul
Coronado, Calf.
. Pvt. First Class Joseph G. Nj
Elroy, father, Thomas B. McElro.
Philadelphia.
: Second 1t. Jack K. D. Dali
mother, Mrs. w. o. Dale, Wiu-C
r MAY Beach, Willoughby, Ohio.
Pvt. Robert j. Endres, fathe
Michael Endres, Fairbault, MINI.
5 Second 1t. Randall D. Keato
father, C. D. Keator, Campti. La.
4