OCR Text |
Show News Clippings Tell of Honors Awarded the Late Lieut. Garth Cottam Clippings received recently by Mr. and Mrs. James F. Cottam indicate in-dicate that Lieut. Garth Cottam was awarded a Silver Star for "gallantry in action", which took place on July 11 over New Guinea. The clippings are from two California Cali-fornia papers, One is an "AP" report and the other a "UP". Following is the report as published pub-lished by one of the papers under an "AP" line: "SOMEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRA-LIA, Jan. 19. (AP) Lieut. Gen. George C. Kenny, commanding officer, of-ficer, allied air forces, southwest Pacific area, awarded nine officers offi-cers the Silver Star for gallantry in action against the Japs in this area, and the purple heart to one officer and three enlisted men. "The Silver Star was awarded to Second Lieutenant Garth B. Cottam, Veyo, Utah, who was the pilot of one of two P-39's which intercepted a formation of 26 bombers escorted by 12 fighters over New Guinea on July 11. He shot down one bomber and aided in breaking up the formation so that all enemy bombs fell harm-1 lessly in to sea. His aircraft was severely damaged but he returned safely to his base". It will be recalled that "Lieut. Cottam was reported "missing in action", which took place on July 22 off Australia. These clippings would indicate' that Lieutenant Cottam had been in the thick of the action and had lived up to the highest traditions of the air corps. |