World War II Aerial Gunner, POW Awarded DFC

[Jim O]

Kill Devil Hills, N.C. - August 02, 2006 - A U.S. Navy World War II aerial gunner who survived combat and nearly a year as a prisoner of war posthumously received the Distinguished Flying Cross at the Wright Brothers National Memorial July 24.

Cmdr. James F. Hughes, commanding officer of Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Little Creek, presented the Flying Cross and the Air Medal with six awards to former Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Joseph E. Cross' family. The recognition honored Cross' actions while serving as a turret gunner on a TBF Avenger with Torpedo Squadron (VT) 14 aboard USS Wasp (CVA 18). The Navy also gave the Cross family a flag that had been flown aboard USS Missouri (BB 63) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

"Just the sheer day-to-day struggle he had serving in that capacity were enough" to merit the ceremonial honors, Hughes said. "It gave me goose bumps. It's a nice reminder of why we serve now."

NOSC Little Creek Command Master Chief William J. Brunner concurred.

"It was just a privilege and an honor for us to go down there for a true American patriot," Brunner said.

Cross and his three-man air crew were shot down over the Straits of Formosa Oct. 13, 1944, forcing him to endure months of near starvation and beatings at a Japanese prison camp, his widow said. Once liberated, Cross witnessed, through binoculars on a hospital ship, the Pacific nation's surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Sept. 2, 1945.

"When this [medal] came, it was very pleasing to his children and to me," said Beverley Cross, his widow, who accepted the honors during the ceremony at the historic site where Wilbur and Orville Wright pioneered powered flight more than a century ago. "It was very, very gratifying to all his children. They were just glowing."

The West Virginia native died of cancer at age 65 in 1990.

Source: Military.com