63 years later, a hero is revealed

DEDHAM -- Daniel Paul Toomey's family knew German antiaircraft fire had shot down his plane in 1944. They knew the Brighton man had spent 11 months as a prisoner of war in a German camp.

But they did not know that Toomey and his eight crew mates had barely survived a heroic mission the day before his capture. More than six decades after the flight and seven years after his death, his family now knows the whole harrowing truth.

On July 15, 1944, the crew's B-24 Liberator, dubbed the Flak Man, lived up to its namesake, according to the Air Force. Intense attacks from Luftwaffe planes and antiaircraft fire on the ground severely damaged the bomber, knocking out one engine and communication. But the crew maintained its course and successfully completed its bombing run on the oil refineries near Ploesti, Romania, a key element of the Nazi war effort. Despite lose of contact with its base in Italy and with its squadron, the bomber returned safely.

Last week, the Air Force presented the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and extraordinary achievement posthumously to Sergeant Toomey, a gunner, as part of a ceremony recognizing the entire crew, only three of which are still alive.

Julie Perillo , Toomey's 32-year-old granddaughter who attended the ceremony, said Toomey's devotion to his family had already earned him hero status in their eyes.

"But having our country use that word to describe him was one of the most moving moments of my life," said the Randolph woman.

The awards ceremony was on Capitol Hill.

"We never knew about the heroics of the day before. He didn't brag about it," Perillo said. "It was just a part of his job."

The next day, the crew took part in a raid on Weiner Neusdorf, Austria . Their plane was shot down by enemy fire. The crew parachuted, but one man was shot and killed before reaching ground. The rest were taken prisoner and forced to walk 800 miles across parts of Austria and France, the family said.

Toomey's daughter, Eileen Gorman, also attended the ceremony and said her father highlighted the positive aspects of imprisonment, such as the German women who shared their potatoes and a German reporter who coached them to persevere.

But once, Gorman said, she asked her father what happened to the prisoners unable to endure captivity.

"His eyes filled up with tears, and he said, 'They shot them,' " said Gorman, 64, of Dedham.

Toomey had already received an air medal, an Army good conduct medal, and a Purple Heart for his military service, Perillo said.

He had graduated from Boston College in 1937 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. After the war, he worked as a Boston police officer and a probation officer.

April Simpson can be reached at asimpson@globe.com.