Ben Case brings his SB2C-3 Helldiver (Bureau No. 18877) down on USS Ticonderoga's deck on November 13, 1944, damaged by anti-aircraft fire with radioman-gunner Bill Jorgensen wounded in the back seat. He recovered and on December 15, Ben presented him with the Purple Heart.

(Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy, via Robert F. Dorr

On an early morning strike on the 13th, the anti-aircraft fire from Japanese ships and shore batteries was very heavy. As I pulled out of my dive, in which I scored a direct hit on a Japanese warship, my plane was severely jolted. A medium caliber AA explosive projectile hit the fuselage and port side trailing edge wing root and penetrated into the rear cockpit just under my aircrewman's (Bill Jorgensen's) seat.

Shrapnel and plane fragments caused deep flesh wounds in Bill’s right calf and thigh. The plane shook, rattled and rolled but we made it out to the rendezvous point. We joined up with the rest of our group and high tailed it back to our ship some 175 miles away. My plane was taken aboard first and a medical crew with a stretch.er was standing by on deck to take Jorgensen to sick bay. He recovered and on December 15, I presented him with the Purple Heart.