AWARDED DFC: 1
CONFLICT/SPACE FLIGHT/EVENT:  -
MODEL:  B-17

Citation:  1.) The President of the United States takes great pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Second Lieutenant Robert L. Giles for extraordinary heroism while participating in aerial flight as Navigator of a B-17 airplane on a bombardment mission on April 18, 1944 to Berlin, Germany. On that date, when his airplane was destroyed by cannon fire from enemy fighters and falling out of control in flames, his bombardier was severely wounded and unable to crawl to the nose hatch to escape or to faster his parachute. Lieutenant Giles, although wounded himself in one arm, with selfless abandon for his own life, remained with his bombardier to help drag his body to the nose escape hatch, fasten parachutes on the bombardier and himself, and bail out from their B-17 to safety in enemy territory. The coolness and selfless courage of Lieutenant Giles while placing himself at continued risk of life to save the life of his bombardier reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Army Air Corps.