Gerard J. Flannick

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Gerard J. Flannick (0-822660), First Lieutenant (Air Corps), U.S. Army Air Force, for extraordinary gallantry in action while participating in aerial flight as Copilot of a B-17 on 16 February 1945 in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. As Lieutenant Flannick’s aircraft was completing its bomb run on the rail yards at Bolzano, Italy it was fatally struck by enemy anti-aircraft fire. Lieutenant Flannick, although told by his pilot to bail out, courageously stayed at the controls of his aircraft to maintain its track on the bomb run and to give his crew time to bail out. Lieutenant Flannick knew, that as the Deputy Group and Squadron Lead, the other bombers would drop their bombs on his lead and that if he failed to do so, in all likelihood the target would be missed, adversely affecting the war effort. Moreover, he knew that if the aircraft fell out of the control, his fellow airmen would not be able to safely exit the plane, so with complete disregard for his own safety, he fought the controls, until after bomb release and his men exited the plane. Subsequent events revealed a successful strike on target and the safe landing of eight of his crew. Lieutenant Flannick and his flight engineer perished. Lieutenant Flannick’s gallant, selfless and voluntary action in the face of great danger, which resulted in the loss of his own life reflects great credit on him and the Armed Forces of the United States.