Fioretti, Edward Anthony

SILVER STAR. EDWARD A. FIORETTI, O-802552, First Lieutenant, Army Air Forces, United States Army. For gallantry in action, while serving as pilot of a B-17 airplane on a bombing mission over Germany, 30 January 1944. During a savage attack by enemy fighters, Lieutenant Fioretti was wounded and rendered unconscious and his aircraft heavily damaged. One engine was hit and set ablaze, three fires started inside the plane, most of the control cables severed and other serious damage inflicted. The blazing aircraft went out of control and into a steep dive, losing 11,000 feet in altitude. Recovering from his stunned condition, Lieutenant Fioretti, despite his painful wounds, assisted by the co-pilot, returned the plane to level flight. Just as it seemed everything was about in order and the fires had been brought under control by te crew, enemy fighters attacked, trying desperately to destroy the already crippled bomber. Putting their aircraft into a dive, Lieutenant Fioretti and the co-pilot, working as a perfect team, eluded the enemy by taking advantage of cloud cover, but five members of the crew, thinking the plane doomed, bailed out. Having accomplished this, they flew their aircraft back to England and made a landing without further injury to the crew. The gallantry, devotion to duty and skillful airmanship displayed by Lieutenant Fioretti were an inspiration to all flying with him. Entered military service from Pennsylvania.

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