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Jewish Flier Shoots Down Nine Zeros; Gets Four Decorations and Roosevelt Citation

July 15, 1943
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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Sergeant Howard Cantor, 23-year old Mount Vernon boy, is now home on leave after carrying out more than 138 bombing missions in the Pacific area and personally shooting down nine Neros. He has received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Silver Star, the Air Medal and the Oak Leaf Cluster and also a citation from President Roosevelt.

Sergeant Cantor, who has seen 700 hours of air combat through all the major campaigns in the Southwest Pacific, enlisted in the Army in January, 1941. When the Japanese struck on December 7, he was caught in the barracks at Hickam Field. Only a heap of rubble remained of what had been the barracks — but he and his friends were unharmed. From then until March of this year, when he returned here for reassignment, he was on almost continuous combat duty.

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