Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

Distinguished Flying Cross
Type	Military medal (Decoration)
Status	Current
Established	2 July 1926
Ribbon
Precedence
Next (higher)	Legion of Merit
Next (lower)	Army – Soldier's Medal Navy & Marine Corps – Navy and Marine Corps Medal Air Force – Airman's Medal Coast Guard – Coast Guard Medal

LTG Ray Odierno presents Distinguished Flying Crosses to soldiers in Iraq.

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."

History

See also: Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

The first award of the Distinguished Flying Cross was made by President Calvin Coolidge on May 2, 1927, to ten aviators of the Air Corps who had participated in the U.S. 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. Since the award had only been authorized by Congress the previous year, no medals had yet been struck, and the Pan American airmen initially received only certificates. Among the ten airmen were Major Herbert A. Dargue, Captains Ira C. Eaker and Muir S. Fairchild, and 1st Lt. Ennis C. Whitehead.

Charles Lindbergh received the first presentation of the medal little more than 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. Interestingly, 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 then-Commander Richard E. Byrd, for his trans-Atlantic flight from June 29 to July 1, 1927 from New York City to the coast of France. Byrd, along with pilot Floyd Bennett, received the Medal of Honor for their historic flight to the North Pole on May 9, 1926 but they did not receive the DFC for that flight as the DFC had not yet been created.

Numerous military recipients of the medal would later earn greater fame in other occupations—several astronauts, actors and politicians (including former President George H. W. Bush) are Distinguished Flying Cross holders.

DFC awards could be retroactive to cover notable achievements back until 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 issued by President Coolidge.

Amelia Earhart became the first woman and first civilian to receive the DFC on July 29, 1932 when it was presented to her by Vice President Charles Curtis in Los Angeles. Earhart received the decoration 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, and the missions accomplished. In the Pacific oftentimes commissioned officers were awarded the DFC, while enlisted men were given the Air Medal. In Europe some bomber crews, often the sole survivors of their wing or group, received it for completing a tour of duty of twenty-five sortees; elsewhere different criteria were used.

During wartime, members of the Armed Forces of friendly foreign nations serving with the United States are eligible for the Distinguished Flying Cross. It is also given to those who display heroism while working as instructors or students at flying schools.

Colonel Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski, USAF, received 13 Distinguished Flying Crosses—the most earned by any individual. He is followed by Admiral Stan Arthur, USN, with 11 DFCs.

Vietnam

During the Vietnam War high ranking Army officers often received the DFC for directing combat operations from aircraft.

Criteria

The Distinguished Flying Cross was authorized by Section 12 of the Air Corps Act enacted by the United States Congress on July 2, 1926, as amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938. This act provided for award “to any person, while serving in any capacity with the Air Corps of the Army of the United States, including the National Guard and the Organized Reserves, or with the United States Navy, since the 6th day of April 1917, has distinguished, or who, after the approval of this Act, distinguishes himself by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.”

Appearance

The Distinguished Flying Cross was designed by Elizabeth Will and Arthur E. DuBois. The medal is a bronze cross pattee, on which its obverse is superimposed a four-bladed propeller, 1 11/16 inches in width. Five rays extended from the reentrant angles, forming a one-inch square. The reverse is blank, and it is suitable for engraving the recipients' name and rank.The cross is suspended by 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.

Devices

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

The Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps may authorize the "V" device for wear to denote valor in combat; Navy and Marine Corps, Combat "V". The "V" device is not authorized for wear by the Army. In the Army, the Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded for single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. The other services can also award the medal for "extraordinary achievement".

In popular culture

In the movie Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian the character Amelia Earhart (played by Amy Adams) mentions that she received "the Flying Cross". In real life, Amelia Earhart did, in fact, receive the Distinguished Flying Cross and was the first woman and civilian to do so.

In the popular TV series JAG, the lead character, Harmon Rabb (played by David James Elliott), is a US Navy aviator and a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Notable recipients

Note - the rank indicated is the highest held by the individual in the United States armed forces.

Medal of Honor recipients

• Major Richard Bong, USAAF - Highest scoring American ace of World War II and Medal of Honor recipient.
• Major General Patrick Henry Brady, USA - Vietnam helicopter pilot.
• Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, USN - Arctic and Antarctic explorer and Medal of Honor recipient.
• Colonel George Day, USAF - POW during the Vietnam War.
• General Jimmy Doolittle, USAF - Leader of the Doolittle Raid.
• Brigadier General Joe Foss, ANG - High scoring Marine Corps ace of World War II and Governor of South Dakota.
• Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh, USAACR - First man to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
• General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, USA - Legendary general.
• Captain David McCampbell, USN - Top US Navy ace of World War II.
• Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. Novosel, USAFR - Vietnam helicopter pilot.
• Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, USN - President of the [[United States Naval War College and vice presidential candidate.

Astronauts

• Colonel Buzz Aldrin, USAF - Second man to walk on the Moon.
• Colonel Eileen Collins, USAF - First woman to command a space shuttle.
• Brigadier General Michael Collins, USAF - Command module pilot for Apollo 11 mission to the Moon.
• Colonel Gordon Cooper, USAF - One of the original seven American astronauts and commander of Gemini 5.
• Captain Robert Crippen, USN - Pilot on first space shuttle mission and recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
• Colonel John Glenn, USMC - First American to orbit the earth and United States Senator.
• Lieutenant Colonel Gus Grissom, USAF - Second American in space who died on Apollo 1.
• Captain Jim Lovell, USN - Astronaut on two trips to the Moon.
• Rear Admiral Alan Shepard, USN - First American in space.
• Captain Wally Schirra, USN - Astronaut and commander of Apollo 7.
• Major Deke Slayton, USAF - NASA chief astronaut and docking module pilot for the Apollo-Soyuz mission.

Political figures

• Lieutenant George H.W. Bush, USNR - President of the United States.
• General Curtis Lemay, USAF - Air Force Chief of Staff and vice presidential candidate.
• Captain John S. McCain, III, USN - United States senator and presidential candidate.
• First Lieutenant George McGovern, USAAF - United States senator and presidential candidate.
• Colonel Bruce Sundlun, USAFR - Business executive and Governor of Rhode Island.

Civilians

• Jacqueline Cochran - Multiple record setting aviatrix, first woman to break the sound barrier and commander of the WASPs during World War II.
• Glenn Curtiss - Aircraft designer.
• Amelia Earhart - Legendary aviatrix. First woman and first civilian to receive the DFC.

Others

• General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold, USAF - Commander of the US Army Air Forces in World War II.
• Colonel Bernt Balchen, USAF - Pilot of first plane to fly over the South Pole.
• Colonel Frank Borman, USAF - Commander of Apollo 8 and recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
• Major Clark Gable, USAAF - Star of Gone with the Wind and World War II pilot.
• Colonel Gabby Gabreski, USAF - Highest scoring ace in the European Theater with 34 kills. Recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross and 13 DFCs.
• Colonel David Hackworth, USA - Highly decorated Army officer and author.
• General Alexander Haig, USA - Supreme Allied Commander for NATO and Secretary of State.
• General David C. Jones, USAF - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• General Edward C. Meyer, USA - Chief of Staff or the United States Army.
• Major General Jimmy Stewart, USAFR - Academy Award winning actor, bomber pilot and Air Force Reserve officer.
• General Norman Schwarzkopf, USA - Army general and commander of Operation Desert Storm.
• Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, USAF - Test pilot and first human to break the sound barrier.

See also

• Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
• Inter-service decorations of the United States military

External links

• The Distinguished Flying Cross Society
• Texas Military Veteran Video Oral Histories Digital Collection - Veterans Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross -- Newton Gresham Library, Sam Houston State University