David R . Kingsley David Richard Kingsley ( June 27 , 1918 – June 23 , 1944 ) was a United States Army Air Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in World War II . Biography . A firefighter before the war , Kingsley joined the Army Air Forces from Portland , Oregon in April 1942 , and by June 23 , 1944 was a second lieutenant serving as a bombardier in the 97th Bombardment Group , Fifteenth Air Force . On that day , during a raid over Ploieşti , Romania , his aircraft was badly damaged and several crewmen wounded by fire from enemy fighters . When the pilot gave the order to bail out of the crippled plane , Kingsley voluntarily gave up his parachute to SSgt . Michael Sullivan , whose chute had been lost . Kingsley was killed when the aircraft crashed a short time later . For these actions , he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor ten months later , on April 9 , 1945 . Kingsley , aged 25 at his death , was buried in Arlington National Cemetery , Arlington County , Virginia . Medal of Honor citation . Second Lieutenant Kingsley ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty , June 23 , 1944 near Ploesti , Rumania , while flying as bombardier of a B17 type aircraft . On the bomb run 2d Lt . Kingsley ' s aircraft was severely damaged by intense flak and forced to drop out of formation but the pilot proceeded over the target and 2d Lt . Kingsley successfully dropped his bombs , causing severe damage to vital installations . The damaged aircraft , forced to lose altitude and to lag behind the formation , was aggressively attacked by 3 ME - 109 aircraft , causing more damage to the aircraft and severely wounding the tail gunner in the upper arm . The radio operator and engineer notified 2d Lt . Kingsley that the tail gunner had been wounded and that assistance was needed to check the bleeding . 2d Lt . Kingsley made his way back to the radio room , skillfully applied first aid to the wound , and succeeded in checking the bleeding . The tail gunner ' s parachute harness and heavy clothes were removed and he was covered with blankets , making him as comfortable as possible . Eight ME - 109 aircraft again aggressively attacked 2d Lt . Kingsley ' s aircraft and the ball turret gunner was wounded by 20mm . shell fragments . He went forward to the radio room to have 2d Lt . Kingsley administer first aid . A few minutes later when the pilot gave the order to prepare to bail out , 2d Lt . Kingsley immediately began to assist the wounded gunners in putting on their parachute harness . In the confusion the tail gunner ' s harness , believed to have been damaged , could not be located in the bundle of blankets and flying clothes which had been removed from the wounded men . With utter disregard for his own means of escape , 2d Lt . Kingsley unhesitatingly removed his parachute harness and adjusted it to the wounded tail gunner . Due to the extensive damage caused by the accurate and concentrated 20mm . fire by the enemy aircraft the pilot gave the order to bail out , as it appeared that the aircraft would disintegrate at any moment . 2d Lt . Kingsley aided the wounded men in bailing out and when last seen by the crewmembers he was standing on the bomb bay catwalk . The aircraft continued to fly on automatic pilot for a short distance , then crashed and burned . His body was later found in the wreckage . 2d Lt . Kingsley by his gallant heroic action was directly responsible for saving the life of the wounded gunner . Legacy . The Klamath Falls Airport in Klamath Falls , Oregon was named Kingsley Field in honor of Kingsley ' s sacrifice . A street was named for him in base housing at Lincoln Air Force Base ( now closed ) where the 97th was later stationed . Memorial to David Kingsley and Suhozem victims was build in Suhozem , Bulgaria , near the crash site of his B - 17 . When Kingsley ' s plane crashed it killed a family of seven on the ground . The memorial was dedicated on 23 October 2004 and was build using a part of his plane in the memorial . Kingsley sister Phyllis Kingsley Rolison was at the dedication as was friends of the family killed when Kingsley ' s plane crashed .