with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-47 Fighter Airplane in the 63d Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, EIGHTH Air Force, over enemy occupied continental Europe on 4 October 1943, while serving as flight leader on a mission escorting withdrawing bombers. Though confronted with superior numbers of enemy aircraft and at a disadvantage because of altitude, he vigorously and aggressively attacked the enemy, destroying two planes and assisted in the dispersal of the enemy formation. Immediately thereafter Captain Mahurin chased an enemy fighter far into Germany, where he destroyed it. The heroism displayed by Captain Mahurin on this occasion reflects the highest credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States. Notes References Frisbee, John. "Honest John", Air Force Magazine, February 1997 Layton, Andrew. Wolverines in the Sky: Michigan's Fighter Aces of WWI, WWII and Korea (2005), Virtualbookworm Publishing. Scutts, Jerry. P-47 Aces of the Eighth Air Force (1998), Osprey Publishing Dorr, Robert F., Davey, Chris. Korean War Aces (1994), Osprey Publishing 1918 births 2010 deaths American World War II flying aces United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War American Korean War pilots Aviators from Michigan People from Benton Harbor, Michigan Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) United States Air Force officers Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium) Shot-down aviators United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II American prisoners of war in the Korean War Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Military personnel from Michigan United States Air Force colonels United States Air Force reservists