Robert J. Rankin

During World War II, he became a flying ace with the United States Army Air Forces credited with 10 aerial victories, including five in a single day, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.On July 15, 1942, he became an aviation cadet in the newly formed Army Air Forces, graduating from flight training at Luke Field, Glendale, Arizona, on April 11, 1943.[5] Citation: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Robert James Rankin (ASN: 0-743089), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-47 Fighter Airplane in the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, EIGHTH Air Force, in action against the enemy on 12 May 1944.On this date Lieutenant Rankin led a flight of fighters on a sweep ahead of bombers en route to targets deep in Germany.In the vicinity of Marburg, Germany, Lieutenant Rankin without hesitation engaged a vastly superior force of enemy fighters and destroyed two of them.