LIEUTENANT COLONEL RAY SHUEY WETMORE (then Captain). United States Army Air Forces. For extraordinary heroism while serving as pilot of a P-51 airplane on a bomber escort mission over Germany, 2 November 1944. Upon leaving the target, he spotted thirty Me-109’s which he immediately led his section of six airplanes to engage. He overtook the enemy and by the vigor and daring of his attack broke up the Me-109 formation. Scoring hits on one enemy airplane, he pursued it alone through the undercast to complete its destruction. Alone under the overcast, he then engaged from fifteen to twenty more Me-109’s, refusing to break off the action in the face of repeated passes by the enemy pilots although only two of his guns were firing. Despite the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy, his cool courage and superb skill as a combat pilot resulted in the destruction of another enemy fighter, and the remaining Me-109’s then dispersed. Captain Wetmore’s resolute determination to attack and destroy the enemy in the face of every hazard and his eagerness to force combat against heavy odds have been an inspiration to his fellow flyers and reflect highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.

View Mr. Wetmore’s Oak Leaf Cluster Citation.