Evening star., 1942-10-14
|Bombardier Who Flew
With Colin Kelly Is
Awarded New Honor
Seret. Levin Of Brooklyn
Decorated for GoIIontry
In CoruI. Seq Bottle
By the Associated Press.

0OAn GrIko, huSLIdlld, OCt. a.
Sergt. Meyer Levin. the Brooklyn
bombardier who fiew with the late
Capt. Colin p. Kelly and released
the bombs which sank the Japanese
battleship Haruna OF. the Philip
pines last December, has bailed out
of another Fortress and won a new
decoration, Gen. Douglas MacAr-
thurs headquarters announced to-
day.
Sergt. Levin, holder of the Dis
tinguished Flying Cross for partici-
patton in the daring attack which
cost Capt. Kelly his life and made
him national hero, has been
awarded the Silver Star for gall
lantry in an attack on Japanese
warships May 8 in the Coral Sea
battle.
Sergt. Levin again was in the
bombardier's post. On the first run
of the Fortress over the target, his
bomb racks jammed.
But the plane came back for an
other run through heavy anti-air-
craft FIRE and eight 500-pound
bombs were dropped, bracketing the
bow of a 15,000-ton transport and
inf1icting heavy damage" the cita-
ton said.
All Airmen Bailed Out.
Returning to its base in bad
weather, Sergt. Levin's plane barely
reached friendly territory before the
gasoline supply was exhausted, fore
ing all members of the crew to bail
out. 1t was a strange reminder of
his last flight with Capt. Kelly.
Returning from that attack, Capt.
Kelly's Fortress was attacked by
japanese planes and the bomber
headed down in dive. Capt. Kelly
gave the order, Bail out. going
down." Sergt. Levin and four 9TH
ers parachuted to safety. Capt. Kelly
went down with the ship.
Sergt. Levin was among 81 officers
and men named today to receive sill
yer stars. Four of them went to
Medical Corps officers and the rest
to officers and men of the United
States Army Air Forces.
Others In List.
Others honored included:
Master Sergt. Paul A. Flanagan,
Salt Lake City. Utah; Corpl. Joseph
C. Wateski, Wyoming. Pa; Corpl.
William E. Wood, Cheyenne, Wyo.;
Technical Sergt. Guy K. Dozier. Al
buquerque, N. Mex; First. 1t. Vim
cent L. Snyder, Chester, Ill: Tech
nical Sergt Walter B. Kolbus. Para
disc, Calf: Staff Sergt. Robert D.
Chopping, Roggen, Colo: Capt.
Kenneth D. Casper, Humboldt,
Kans.: First 1t. Marion L. Wheeler,
Webster. Iowa; Maj. Raymond v.
Schwanbeck, Phoenix, Ariz; Corpl.
Robert F. Graf, Holland, Mich: First
1t. Thomas c. Parkinson. Baltimore.
Among the medical officers hon
ored were Maj. Leon E. Robinson,
Aledo. ILL.,; Capt. George F. Adams,
San Francisco, and First 1t. Dean P.
Dimmit, San Antonio, Tex.
1t. Dimmit won his award for
"calmness, good Judgment and pro-
fesional skill In the care and evac-
uation of some 20 Dutch nationals"
wounded during an enemy raid
March 3 on Broome, Australia. The
citation said "Dimmit's untiring
efforts were directly responsible for
saving many lives"
Exposed Selves to Strafing.
Maj. Robinson and Capt. Adams
were honored for exceptional gall
lantry in caring for the sick and
wounded during enemy attacks on
Java" The citations said these Of
f1cers "often exposed themselves to
the severest enemy strafing. These
officers lived with the men, giving
medical attention at all hours of
the day and night. The citation
added that their GOODNESS and gal
lantry under the most trying con-
ditions were an inspiration to all
and did much to keep morale at
an exceptionally high level"
1t. Snyder won his decoration
for gallantry during an air raid
August over Rabaul, New Britain,
when the formation of Flying
Fortresses with which he was flying
shot down of 20 Japanese fighters
which opposed them in a 25-min-
ute fight.
His citation said that despite a
disabled engine and oxygen sys-
tenn. he kept his plane in forma-
FILL l.
target in keeping with his past
performances on combat missions
in the Philippines, Java and Aus
tralia"
Corpl. Wood received his deco
ration for participation in the same
raid. His citation said that his
determination and courage in
manning his guns in the face Of
heavy fire aided considerably in de-
fea tfno the orarnVo