06/23/2026
Today, we honor and remember MOH recipient (Posthumously) 2nd Lt. David R. Kingsley, 341st Bomb Squadron, 97th Bombardment Group, who served as a B-17 Flying Fortress bombardier. On 23 June 1944 he and his crew faced theirtoughest mission to date: an attack on oil fields and refineries around Ploiesti, Romania. Ploiesti was a vital source of fuel for N**i Germany and was heavily defended.
Kingsley’s crew was to attack the Dacia Oil Refinery, but as the B-17 neared its target, it was hit by enemy fire. The plane lost altitude and was forced out of formation, but pilot Edwin Anderson had no intention of abandoning his target. He skillfully kept the damaged B-17 going while Kingsley “successfully dropped his bombs,” as his MOH citation describes, “causing severe damage to vital installations.”
Anderson could finally turn back, but by then the B-17 was severely damaged. Making matters worse, enemy fighters were soon on their tail. Several crew members were wounded, and Kingsley hurried to help his friends as Anderson fought to keep the plane in the air. When the third engine died, Anderson knew that the crew would need to bail out.
Tail gunner Mike Sullivan was too badly wounded to help himself. “Everyone on the plane was bailing out,” Sullivan’s wife described many years later, “but his parachute had been damaged in the attack. He was lying on his back with head wounds and too weak to pull himself up.”
Kingsley knew what he had to do. Seemingly without hesitation, he strapped his own parachute onto Sullivan.
“David then took me in his arms and struggled to the bomb bay,” Sullivan would remember, “where he told me to keep my hand on the rip cord and said to pull it when I was clear of the ship . . . . I jumped. I looked at Dave the look he had on his face was firm and solemn. He must have known what was coming because there was no fear in his eyes at all.”
Kingsley went down with the mortally wounded B-17, and his body would later be found in the wreckage. Meanwhile, Sullivan survived. He was captured on the ground and spent time as a POW, but he eventually went home. Once there, he wrote Kingsley’s brother, Tommy.
“Tommy, I am more than grateful that my life was spared by your brother Dave giving up his life so that I could live,” Sullivan wrote. “I am not ashamed to admit when I think of Dave I also have tears come into my eyes, if it weren’t for me getting wounded Dave’s life would have been saved.”
But surely Kingsley would have been more focused on what his sacrifice gained: Sullivan returned home to a full life—and future generations benefited. When Sullivan passed away at age 84, he had two daughters and six grandkids.
And it was all because one man selflessly sacrificed himself over the skies of Europe.
John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Lt. Kingsley, was buried amongst other heroes in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 34, site 4786.
A memorial to David Kingsley and Suhozem victims was built in Suhozem, Bulgaria, near the crash site of his B-17. When Kingsley's plane crashed it tragically killed a family of seven on the ground. The memorial was dedicated on 23 October 2004 and was built using a part of his plane in the memorial. Kingsley's sister, Phyllis Kingsley Rolison, was at the dedication as was friends of the family killed when Kingsley's plane crashed.
May they all rest in peace..
