Editor’s Note: Although the locations are blanked out on the copy of the citation from the National Personnel Records Center (printed below), the action took place on a mission from Mindoro Island near Luzon in the Philippines. COL Atkinson adds that he was shot down at Clark Field on January 3, 1945, captured by the Japanese, escaped, and missed the January 9 invasion of Luzon.

COL GWEN G. ATKINSON, Air Corps, United States Army. For extraordinary heroism in action near **** ****, ***** **** on 26 December 1944. When a Japanese task force consisting of a battleship, a heavy cruiser and six destroyers approached and threatened the recently occupied allied base at *** ****, **** at night, Colonel Atkinson, taking off in the midst of an enemy air raid, led two squadrons of p-47 aircraft in what seemed an almost suicidal attack upon the task force. Because it had been impossible to load the p-47’s with bombs, he instructed the pilots to make diversionary strafing runs over the warships to prevent the enemy gunners from concentrating their fire in any one direction. Leading the way through an intense antiaircraft barrage, he came at masthead level and raked the full length of the cruiser with machine gun fire. He then led his squadrons in a series of strafing attacks which started fire on the cruiser and several destroyers silenced gun batteries, and killed a majority of the enemy gun crews. Only after he had expended all his ammunition and all the pilots had left the area did he proceed to a base on the island of ****, where he arrived with his gasoline almost exhausted. Demonstrating inspiring leadership, outstanding courage and superb flying skill, Colonel Atkinson contributed materially to the elimination of a serious threat to our newly won airstrips and installations.

COL Atkinson resides in Oklahoma.