Elmer R. Winters was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism on July 18, 1944, over Germany. Despite severe wounds, he manned his gun during an attack from over 200 enemy fighters. He destroyed two enemy aircraft and damaged another. He took the only bomb strike pictures of the mission, thereby insuring valuable photographic intelligence data. From March 11 to September 13, 1944, he flew 51 combat missions over occupied Europe.