Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918."[6][7]

Distinguished Flying Cross
Awarded by the
Department of the Army[1]
Department of the Navy[2]
Department of the Air Force[3]
Department of Homeland Security[4]
TypeMilitary Decoration
Awarded for"Heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight"
StatusCurrently awarded
Statistics
Established2 July 1926[5]
First awarded2 May 1927
Precedence
Next (higher)Legion of Merit[6]
Next (lower)Army: Soldier's Medal
Navy and Marine Corps: Navy and Marine Corps Medal
Air Force: Airman's Medal
Coast Guard: Coast Guard Medal

Service ribbon

History
LTG Ray Odierno presents Distinguished Flying Crosses to Army aviators in Iraq

The first award of the Distinguished Flying Cross was made by President Calvin Coolidge on May 2, 1927, to ten aviators of the U.S. Army Air Corps who had participated in the Army Pan American Flight which took place from December 21, 1926, to May 2, 1927. Two of the airmen died in a mid-air collision trying to land at Buenos Aires on February 26, 1927, and received their awards posthumously. The award had only been authorized by Congress the previous year and no medals had yet been struck, so the Pan American airmen initially received only certificates. Among the ten airmen were Major Herbert Dargue, Captains Ira C. Eaker and Muir S. Fairchild, and 1st Lt. Ennis C. Whitehead.

Charles Lindbergh received the first presentation of the actual medal about a month later from Coolidge during the Washington, D.C. homecoming reception on June 11, 1927, from his trans-Atlantic flight. The medal had hurriedly been struck and readied just for that occasion. The 1927 War Department General Order (G.O. 8) authorizing Lindbergh's DFC states that it was awarded by the President, while the General Order (G.O. 6) for the Pan American Flyers' DFC citation notes that the War Department awarded it "by direction of the President." The first Distinguished Flying Cross to be awarded to a Naval aviator was received by Commander Richard E. Byrd, USN for his trans-Atlantic flight from June 29 to July 1, 1927, from New York City to the coast of France. Byrd and his pilot Machinist Floyd Bennett had already received the Medal of Honor for their historic flight to the North Pole on May 9, 1926.

Numerous recipients of the medal earned greater fame in other occupations; a number of astronauts, actors, and politicians have been Distinguished Flying Cross recipients, including President George H. W. Bush. DFC awards can be retroactive to cover notable achievements back to the beginning of World War I. On February 23, 1929, Congress passed special legislation to allow the award of the DFC to the Wright brothers for their December 17, 1903, flight. Other civilians who have received the award include Wiley Post, Jacqueline Cochran, Roscoe Turner, Amelia Earhart, Glenn H. Curtiss, and Eugene Ely. Eventually, it was limited to military personnel by an Executive Order. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to receive the DFC on July 29, 1932, when it was presented to her by Vice President Charles Curtis in Los Angeles for her solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean earlier that year.

World War II

During World War II, the medal's award criteria varied widely depending on the theater of operations, aerial combat that was engaged in, and the missions that were accomplished. In the Pacific, commissioned officers were often awarded the DFC, while enlisted men were given the Air Medal. In Europe, some crews received it for their overall performance through a tour of duty. The criteria used was however not consistent between commands or over time.[8] Individual achievement could also result in the medal being awarded. For example, George McGovern received one for successfully completing a bombing mission after his aircraft lost an engine, and then landing it safely.[9]

Criteria

The Distinguished Flying Cross was authorized by Section 12 of the United States Army Air Corps Act enacted by Congress on July 2, 1926,[10] as amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938.[7] This act provided for award to any person who distinguishes himself "by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight" while serving in any capacity with the Air Corps.[7]

Appearance

The Distinguished Flying Cross was designed by Elizabeth Will and Arthur E. DuBois.[7] The medal is a bronze cross pattee, on whose obverse is superimposed a four-bladed propeller, 1 11/16 inches in width. Five rays extend from the reentrant angles, forming a one-inch square. The reverse is blank; it is suitable for engraving the recipient's name and rank. The cross is suspended from a rectangular bar.

The suspension and service ribbon of the medal is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 3/32 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118; 9/64 inch White 67101; 11/32 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118; 3/64 inch White 67101; center stripe 3/32 inch Old Glory Red 67156; 3/64 inch White 67101; 11/32 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118; 9/64 inch White 67101; 3/32 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118.[7]

Devices

Additional awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross are shown with bronze or silver Oak Leaf Clusters for the Army and Air Force, and gold and silver ​5⁄16 Inch Stars for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

The Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps may authorize the "V" device for wear on the DFC to denote valor in combat; Navy and Marine Corps, Combat "V". The Army does not authorize the "V" device to be worn on the DFC (even though the Army awards the DFC "for single acts of heroism" or "extraordinary achievement" while participating in aerial flight). The other services can also award the DFC for extraordinary achievement without the "V" device.

DFC National Memorial Act

In July 2014, the United States Senate passed the Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act. The act was sponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer, to designate the Distinguished Flying Cross Memorial at March Field Air Museum adjacent to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California as a national memorial to recognize members of United States Armed Forces who have distinguished themselves by heroism in aerial flight.[11] The act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on July 25, 2014.[12]

Notable recipients of the DFC

Note: the rank indicated is the highest held by the individual.

Astronauts

Note: Although astronaut Neil Armstrong's achievements as an aviator and an astronaut more than exceeded the requirements for the DFC, he was a civilian for his entire career with NASA, requiring an act of Congress to award the medal.

Political figures

Civilians
  • Glenn Curtiss: Aircraft designer. Posthumously awarded in 1933.[13]
  • Amelia Earhart: Legendary aviatrix. First woman to receive the DFC by an act of Congress in 1932.[14]
  • Eugene Burton Ely: First person to make a ship-board landing in an aircraft. Posthumously awarded in 1933.
  • Harold Gatty: Navigator with Wiley Post on record-breaking around the world flight. Awarded in 1932.[15]
  • Wiley Post: Completed record-breaking around-the-world flight and was the first person to fly solo around the world. Awarded in 1932.[16]
  • Roscoe Turner: Flamboyant air racing champion. Presented in 1952. (Last award of the DFC to a civilian.)[17]
  • Orville Wright: Aviation pioneer. Awarded by Act of Congress on December 18, 1928.[18]
  • Wilbur Wright: Aviation pioneer. Posthumously awarded by Act of Congress on December 18, 1928.[18]

Foreign citizens
  • Wing Commander James Blackburn RAF: Distinguished British pilot during World War II.
  • Wing Commander A. Warburton, RAF: Distinguished British reconnaissance pilot during World War II.
  • Colonel Francesco De Pinedo, Italian Air Force: Completed the Four Continents Flight in a flying boat in 1927.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dieudonné Costes, French Army: Completed around the world flight.
  • Lieutenant Commander Joseph Le Brix, French Navy: Completed around the world flight.
  • Commandant James Fitzmaurice, Irish Air Corps. Flew on first non-stop westward crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on the Bremen.
  • Major Arthur Chin, Republic of China Air Force: Chinese-American fighter ace.
  • Captain Hermann Köhl, German Army: Flew on first non-stop westward crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Baron Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld, German aristocrat: Flew on first non-stop westward crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.

Celebrities

United States Air Force, Army Air Forces and Army Air Corps
  • General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold, USAF: Commander of the US Army Air Forces during World War II.
  • General Samuel E. Anderson, USAF: Commander of the 5th Air Force during the Korean War.
  • General Jimmy Doolittle, USAF: leader of the Doolittle Raid.
  • General Leon W. Johnson, USAF: Leader in the Ploesti Raid and commander of the Continental Air Command.
  • General George S. Brown, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  • General Ira C. Eaker, USAF: Commander of the 8th Air Force during World War II.
  • General Charles A. Gabriel, USAF: Chief of Staff or the U.S. Air Force, recipient of five DFCs.
  • General Daniel James, Jr., USAF: First African-American US Air Force four-star general.
  • General David C. Jones, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  • General George C. Kenney, USAF: First commander of Strategic Air Command.
  • General Curtis Lemay, USAF: Air Force Chief of Staff and vice presidential candidate.
  • General Seth J. McKee, USAF: NORAD commander and D-Day veteran.
  • General John C. Meyer, USAF: Commander of Strategic Air Command. Seven DFCs
  • General Richard B. Myers, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  • General Joseph W. Ralston, USAF: Supreme Allied Commander for NATO.
  • General Carl Spaatz, USAF: First Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
  • General Nathan F. Twining, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  • Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews, USAAF: Died in accident in 1943.
  • Lieutenant General Royal N. Baker, USAF: Flew combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
  • Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton, USAF: Commander of the Ninth Air Force during World War II.
  • Lieutenant General George H. Brett, USAF: Commander of the Caribbean Defense Command in World War II.
  • Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault, USAF: Commander of the Flying Tigers.
  • Lieutenant General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., USAF: First African-American US Air Force general.
  • Lieutenant General Elwood Richard Quesada, USAF: First Commander of Tactical Air Command.
  • Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer, USAF: Commander of Far East Air Forces during the Korean War.
  • Major General Orvil A. Anderson, USAF: Participant in altitude record setting Air Corps Stratospheric Balloon Flights in Explorer I and Explorer II in 1934 and 1935.
  • Major General David M. Jones, USAF: Doolittle Raider and recipient of two DFCs.
  • Major General Uzal Girard Ent, USAAF: Leader of the Ploesti Raid.
  • Major General Caleb V. Haynes, USAF: Bomber commander of the China Air Task Force.
  • Major General Frank O'Driscoll Hunter, USAAF
  • Major General Robert Olds, USAAF: Father of ace Robin Olds.
  • Major General Robert A. Rushworth, USAF: X-15 pilot.
  • Major General Clarence A. Shoop, USAAF: WWII Observation pilot
  • Major General Mele "Mel" Vojvodich, USAF: Pilot for the CIA in Vietnam, three DFCs.
  • Brigadier General Frederick Walker Castle, USAAF: four DFCs.
  • Brigadier General Gerald Goodfellow, USAF: B1-Lancer Offensive Systems Officer, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for action during Operation Allied Force.
  • Brigadier General Charles A. Lindbergh, USAFR: first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF: Combat pilot in World War II and Vietnam War and recipient of six DFCs.
  • Brigadier General Richard Stephen Ritchie, USAF: Only US Air Force ace of the Vietnam War with five kills.
  • Brigadier General Elliott Roosevelt, USAAF: Son of President Franklin Roosevelt.
  • Brigadier General Robert Lee Scott Jr., USAF: Fighter pilot who earned three DFCs.
  • Brigadier General Dale E. Stovall, USAF: Vietnam War CSAR pilot who rescued Roger Locher, deepest rescue inside North Vietnam.
  • Brigadier General Paul Tibbets, USAF: Pilot of the Enola Gay.
  • Colonel Bernt Balchen, USAF: pilot of first plane to fly over the South Pole.
  • Colonel Kim Campbell, USAF: For successfully completing her mission supporting ground troops over Baghdad in April 2003 and successfully landing her A-10 back at base despite sustaining severe damage to her aircraft.
  • Colonel Jacqueline Cochran, USAFR: Multiple record setting aviatrix, first woman to break the sound barrier and commander of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II.
  • Colonel George Day, USAF: POW during the Vietnam War.
  • Colonel Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen, USAF: Vietnam War F-105 pilot.
  • Colonel Bernard F. Fisher, USAF: Vietnam War A-1 Skyraider pilot.
  • Colonel James P. Fleming, USAF: Vietnam War helicopter pilot.
  • Colonel Joe M. Jackson, USAF: combat veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
  • Colonel John R. Kane, USAF: Leader in the Ploesti Raid.
  • Colonel Gabby Gabreski, USAF: Highest scoring American ace in the European Theater with 34 kills. Recipient of 13 DFCs.
  • Colonel Jose L. Holguin, USAF: Silver Star recipient and POW during World War II.
  • Colonel James K. Johnson, USAF: Korean war ace with 11 kills. Recipient of three DFCs.
  • Colonel Charles H. MacDonald, USAF: Recipient of six DFCs.
  • Colonel Ashley Chadbourne McKinley, USAF: Photographer on first flight over the South Pole.
  • Colonel Russell Maughan, USAAF: Completed first "dawn to dusk" transcontinental flight.
  • Colonel David C. Schilling, USAF: Recipient of 11 DFCs.
  • Colonel Lowell Smith, USAAF: Conducted first aerial refueling and commanded first aerial circumnavigation of the globe.
  • Colonel Robert E. Thacker, USAF: Pilot of record breaking flight from Honolulu to New York and recipient of three DFCs.
  • Colonel Leo K. Thorsness, USAF: Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam War veteran.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Lee Archer, USAF: First African-American fighter ace.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Leaford Bearskin, USAF: Veteran of World War II and Korea and also Chief of the Wyandotte Nation.
  • Lieutenant Colonel George A. Davis, USAF: High scoring Korean War ace.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Bill Harris (aviator) USAF: WW2 Triple ace fighter pilot.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. Novosel, USAFR: Vietnam War helicopter pilot, Medal of Honor recipient, three DFCs.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Robert S. Johnson, USAFR: Recipient of nine DFCs.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Arthur W. Murray, USAF: Early jet test pilot.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dick Rutan, USAF: Piloted first unrefueled non-stop around the world flight. Recipient of five DFCs.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Albert William Stevens, USAAF: Participant in both the Explorer I and Explorer II stratospheric balloon flights.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Boyd Wagner, USAAC: First Army Air Corps ace of World War II.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Ray Shuey Wetmore, USAAF: 21 aerial victories during World War II. Received six DFCs.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Gerald O. Young, USAF: Vietnam War helicopter pilot.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Jay Zeamer, Jr., USAF: World War II Medal of Honor recipient.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dan "Two Dogs" Hampton, USAF: Received four DFC's as a "Wild Weasel" surface-to-air missile killer.
  • Major Richard Bong, USAAF: Highest scoring American ace of World War II.
  • Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr., USAAF: World War II bomber pilot.
  • Major George Andrew Davis, Jr., USAF: Ace in both World War II and the Korean War. Four DFCs.
  • Major Charles J. Loring, Jr., USAF: World War II POW and Korean War F-80 Shooting Star pilot.
  • Major Thomas McGuire, USAAF: second highest scoring American ace in World War II with 38 kills. Six DFCs.
  • Major John Trevor Godfrey, USAAF: Shot down 18 German aircraft.
  • Major Louis J. Sebille, USAF: Korean War F-51 Mustang pilot, two DFCs.
  • Major MJ Hegar, USAF: Second female recipient during combat search and rescue mission in Afghanistan.
  • Captain Kenneth H. Dahlberg, USAAF: Business executive and figure in the Watergate scandal, recipient of two DFCs.
  • Captain Hawthorne C. Gray, USAAC: Died during altitude record breaking balloon ascent in 1927.
  • Captain Joseph Kittinger, USAF: seven DFCs, served three tours in Vietnam and holder of the highest free-fall parachute jump record for 52 years.
  • Captain Ken Kavanaugh, USAAF: Professional football player.
  • Captain Thomas Mantell, KYANG: Died in pursuit of a UFO.
  • Captain Francis Gary Powers, USAF: Captured by Soviets when his U-2 spy plane was shot down in 1960.
  • Captain John S. Walmsley, Jr., USAF: Korean War B-26 pilot.
  • Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks, USAF: Vietnam War O-1 pilot.
  • Captain Louis Zamperini, USAAF: POW during World War II. Inspiration for the movie Unbroken.
  • First Lieutenant John Ehrlichman, USAAF: B-17 navigator, presidential aide and figure in the Watergate scandal.
  • First Lieutenant Morton Arnold "MAP" Pierce,[19] USAAC: B-17 Navigator, DFC, Air Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, 3 Oak Clusters.
  • First Lieutenant Bob Hoover, USAAF: POW and record breaking pilot.
  • First Lieutenant Raymond L. Knight, USAAF: World War II P-47 pilot.
  • First Lieutenant Aleda E. Lutz, USAAF: World War II Army flight nurse.
  • First Lieutenant Donald D. Pucket, USAAF: Died during Operation Tidal Wave.
  • 2nd Lieutenant Dean Cullom Smith, USAACR: Pilot for Admiral Byrd's 1928 to 1930 Antarctic Expedition.
  • Chief Master Sergeant Duane D. Hackney, USAF: Recipient of four DFCs.
  • Technical Sergeant Ben Kuroki, USAAF: Japanese-American veteran of 58 combat missions.

United States Marine Corps
  • General Earl E. Anderson, USMC: Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.
  • General Keith B. McCutcheon, USMC
  • General Christian F. Schilt, USMC: Director of Marine Corps Aviation.
  • Lieutenant General Frank E. Petersen, USMC: First African-American Marine Corps general.
  • Lieutenant General William G. Thrash, USMC
  • Major General Marion Eugene Carl, USMC: First Marine Corps ace. Recipient of five DFCs.
  • Major General Ross "Rusty" Rowell, USMC: 1927 Nicaragua, carried out the first coordinated dive-bombing attacks in aviation history.
  • Brigadier General Joe Foss: Medal of Honor recipient, second highest scoring Marine Corps ace of World War II and Governor of South Dakota.
  • Brigadier General Robert E. Galer, USMC: Commanded VMF-224 on Guadalcanal.
  • Colonel Kenneth L. Reusser, USMC: Recipient of two DFCs. Had 253 combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
  • Colonel Archie Van Winkle, USMC: World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran.
  • Colonel Jefferson J. DeBlanc, USMC: Shot down five planes in a single day.
  • Colonel John Lucian Smith, USMC: Leader of the Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal.
  • Colonel James E. Swett, USMC: Shot down 5 planes on his first combat mission and recipient of eight DFCs.
  • Lieutenant Colonel John F. Bolt, USMC: Only Marine jet fighter ace. Only Naval Aviator to achieve ace status in two wars (WWII and Korea.)
  • Major William H. May, USMCR: FAA Pioneer, recipient of seven DFCs.
  • Major Stephen W. Pless, USMC
  • Captain Donald N. Aldrich, USMCR: 20 kills.
  • Captain Cecil A. Alexander, Jr., USMCR: Modern architect. Recipient of two DFCs during World War II.
  • Captain Charles S. Whitehouse, USMCR: Diplomat, CIA officer and recipient of seven DFCs.
  • First Lieutenant Robert M. Hanson, USMC: Member of the Black Sheep Squadron with 25 kills.

United States Navy

United States Coast Guard

United States Army

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2018-01-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2012-02-16.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Production publication" (PDF). static.e-publishing.af.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  4. "Info" (PDF). media.defense.gov. 2017.
  5. "Executive Order 4601". U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved 26 September 2012. External link in |publisher= (help)
  6. "Department of Defense Manual 1348.33-V3" (PDF). US Department of Defense. 23 November 2010. pp. 17–18, 50. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  7. "Distinguished Flying Cross". The Institute of Heraldry: Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the ARMY. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  8. Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal Criteria in the Army Air Forces in World War II
  9. George McGovern's WWII Diary
  10. Mooney, Charles C. and Layman, Martha E. (1944). "Organization of Military Aeronautics, 1907-1935 (Congressional and War Department Action)" (PDF). Air Force Historical Study No. 25. AFHRA (USAF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-27. Retrieved 14 Dec 2010., Appendix 5, p. 127.
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-01. Retrieved 2014-11-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. "Senator Boxer: President Obama Signs the Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act". senate.gov. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  13. Awarded by Act of Congress March 1, 1933.
  14. Awarded by Act of Congress July 2, 1932.
  15. Awarded by Act of Congress July 11, 1932.
  16. Awarded by Act of Congress July 11, 1932. Died in a plane crash with Will Rogers.
  17. Awarded by Act of Congress in 1949 and presented in 1952.
  18. Awarded by Act of Congress December 18, 1928.
  19. Tribune, Chicago. "MORTON ARNOLD PIERCE, 78". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  20. MacArthur, Douglas (1964). Reminiscences. Annapolis: Bluejacket Books. pp. 372–373. ISBN 1-55750-483-0. OCLC 220661276.
  21. "Valor awards for James Francis Hollingsworth". militarytimes.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2016.

Further reading
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