Fairfax World War II Veteran Given Medal for Heroism, Nearly 70 Years Later

Saturday night, 87-year-old Millard “Lefty” Palmer of Fairfax stood ramrod straight before a crowd of family and friends at the local American Legion hall as Congressman Gerry Connolly pinned the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor on his lapel for an act of heroism that occurred a whopping 68 years ago, in the skies over Japan.

Lefty Palmer was barely 18 and the gunner on a July 7, 1945 bombing flight over Akashi, Japan when his plane's payload of twenty 500-pound bombs failed to release due to a malfunction, jeopardizing the mission, the plane, and the crew’s lives.

Palmer and the plane’s bombardier stripped off their flak jackets, their parachutes and other protective gear and crawled into the B-29’s bomb bay. As they risked their own lives, hanging precariously from the bomb rack over open sky, they manually released each of the bombs, using only a screwdriver and “great physical effort.”

Nearly seven decades later, the U.S. Air Force acted on information it received about Palmer’s exploits and notified him late last year that he was being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for his “outstanding heroism and selfless dedication to duty.” 

The Air Force citation accompanying the medal cited Palmer’s “extraordinary achievement” and “total disregard for his own safety.”

Palmer was a staff sergeant at the time of his heroic act during World War II.  He subsequently served in the Korean War and retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1980. 

Today, he resides in Fairfax with Doris, his wife of 64 years.

Rep. Connolly, accompanied by Mike Kimlick of the Fairfax American Legion Post 177, presented the award to Palmer at a dinner in Palmer’s honor held at the Legion Hall this past Saturday, July 20. 

Palmer, who flew many missions over Japan, cited his pride in being part of the 73rd Bomb Wing based in Saipan.

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