James Gunn served as a pilot US Army Air Forces and later with the US Air Force. On 17 August 1944 his B-24 was shot down while on a mission to bomb the Ploesti, Romania oil fields. He became a prisoner of the Romanians, who were allied with the Germans. When the Romanians switched sides later that month and Allied POWs were at risk from German bombing, Gunn decided something had to be done. He had to get news of the POWs to the Allies in Italy and he devised a daring way to do that. Read his story here:

https://airandspace.si.edu/support/wall-of-honor/col-james-alexander-gu…



Gunn was posthumously awarded a Silver Star for his actions in 2014. His widow, Aileen, received it on his behalf: https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2014/10/21/pilot-s-wi…