Robert David Wallace

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Robert David Wallace, Captain (Air Corps), U.S. Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a B-24 Heavy Bomber in the FAR EAST Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 8 December 1944, over Miri, Borneo. Captain Wallace volunteered to bomb the Lutong Oil Refinery in Borneo, a round trip of approximately two thousand miles requiring twelve hours’ flying time. He took off from Morotai in a heavy bomber, and arriving at the refinery made his bombing run at an altitude of one hundred feet, through heavy and accurate antiaircraft fire. Hitting the cracking plant with every bomb in his load, he saw it explode in flames. He pulled out of his bombing run to return immediately at three hundred feet in two successive strafing attacks against storage tanks and personnel. Turning from his target he then strafed and damaged a twin-engine bomber on the nearby Miri Airfield. With two of his crew wounded and his plane heavily damaged by enemy fire he returned to the refinery, and made five more strafing attacks. Completing the destruction of his objective, he left it in flames and smoke rising fifteen thousand feet and visible for seventy five miles. Captain Wallace’s outstanding heroism in eliminating one of the enemy’s major sources of naval fuel oil made a significant contribution to the success of our operations in the Southwest Pacific Area. His personal courage and zealous devotion to duty on this occasion have upheld the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.