The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is a

military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. DoD Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3 A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medal ...

of the United States Armed Forces. The medal was established on July 2, 1926, and is currently awarded to any persons who, after April 6, 1917, distinguish themselves by single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. Both heroism and extraordinary achievement are entirely distinctive, involving operations that are not routine. The medal may be awarded to friendly foreign military members in ranks equivalent to U.S. Pay Grade of O-6 and below, in actual combat in support operations.

History

Odierno presents DFCs army mil-2007-11-14-093424

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 Herbert Arthur "Bert" Dargue (November 17, 1886 – December 12, 1941) was a career officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of major general in the Army Air Forces. He was a pioneer military aviator and one of the first ten recipi ...

, Captains

Ira C. Eaker General (Honorary) Ira Clarence Eaker (April 13, 1896 – August 6, 1987) was a general of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Eaker, as second-in-command of the prospective Eighth Air Force, was sent to England to form and ...

and

Muir S. Fairchild General (United States), General Muir Stephen Fairchild (September 2, 1894 – March 17, 1950) was a United States Air Force officer and the service's second Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Vice Chief of Staff. Early service ...

, and First Lieutenant 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 George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

. The DFC may be retroactively awarded to recognize notable accomplishments made at any time after the beginning of American participation in 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 Roscoe Turner (September 29, 1895 – June 23, 1970) was a record-breaking American aviator who was a three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race and widely recognized by his flamboyant style and his pet, Gilmore the Lion. Early life ...

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...

Glenn H. Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early a ...

, and

Eugene Ely Eugene Burton Ely (October 21, 1886 – October 19, 1911) was an American aviation pioneer, credited with the first shipboard aircraft take off and landing. Background Ely was born in Williamsburg, Iowa, and raised in Davenport, Iowa. Having c ...

. 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 were however not consistent between commands or over time. Individual achievement could also result in the medal being awarded. For example,

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator, and the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 pres ...

received one for the successful completion of a bombing mission in which his aircraft lost an engine and then was landed safely.

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,, Appendix 5, p. 127. as amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938 and USC 10, 9279. 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.

Appearance

The Distinguished Flying Cross was designed by Elizabeth Will and Arthur E. DuBois. The medal is a bronze

cross pattee A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

, on whose obverse is superimposed a four-bladed

propeller A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...

, 1 11/16 inches in width. Five rays extend from the reentrant angles, forming a one-inch square. The

reverse Reverse or reversing may refer to: Arts and media * ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001 * ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film * ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film * ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005 * ''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.

Devices

Additional awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross are shown with bronze or silver Oak Leaf Clusters for the Army, Air Force, and Space Force, and gold and silver Inch Stars for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The Army, Air Force, Space Force, Navy, and Marine Corps may authorize the

"V" device A "V" device is a metal capital letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes an award for heroism or valor in combat instead of for meritorious service or achievement. ...

for wear on the DFC to denote valor in combat. The services can also award the DFC for extraordinary achievement without the "V" device. On January 7, 2016, a Secretary of Defense memorandum standardized the use of the "V" device as a valor-only device across the services. The Department of Defense published "DOD Manuals 1348.33, Volumes 1-4, DOD Military Decorations and Awards" which unified the criteria for awards. DOD 1348.33. "Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards" authorizes use of the "V" Device with the DFC for combat valor and the "C" Device for meritorious service or achievement under combat conditions.

DFC National Memorial Act

In July 2014, the United States Senate passed the

Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act The March Field Air Museum is an aviation museum near Moreno Valley and Riverside, California, adjacent to March Air Reserve Base. History The museum was founded in 1979 as March Air Force Base Museum. One of the first exhibits at the museum wa ...

. The act was sponsored by Senator

Barbara Boxer Barbara Sue Boxer (née Levy; born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and lobbyist who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the U.S. ...

, to designate the Distinguished Flying Cross Memorial at March Field Air Museum adjacent to

March Air Reserve Base March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...

in Riverside, California as a national memorial to recognize members of United States Armed Forces who have distinguished themselves by heroism in aerial flight. The act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on July 25, 2014.

Notable recipients of the DFC

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

Astronauts

* Lieutenant General

Thomas P. Stafford Thomas Patten Stafford (born September 17, 1930) is an American former Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut, and one of 24 people who flew to the Moon. He also served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from 1969 to 1971. After grad ...

, USAF: flew to the Moon on '' Apollo 10'', commander of the '' Apollo–Soyuz'' mission. * Major General

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

, USAF: command module pilot for '' Apollo 11'' mission to the Moon. * Major General Joe Engle, USAF: X-15 and Space Shuttle pilot. * Rear Admiral Alan Shepard, USN: one of the original seven American astronauts, first American in space in '' Freedom 7'', commanded

Apollo 14 Apollo 14 (January 31, 1971February 9, 1971) was the eighth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, the third to land on the Moon, and the first to land in the lunar highlands. It was the last of the " H missions", landings at s ...

. * Brigadier General James McDivitt, USAF: commander of '' Gemini 4'' and '' Apollo 9''. * Colonel Buzz Aldrin, USAF: Lunar Module pilot for '' Apollo 11'', second man to walk on the Moon. * Colonel Frank Borman, USAF: commander of ''

Apollo 8 Apollo 8 (December 21–27, 1968) was the first crewed spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit and the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon. The crew orbited the Moon ten times without landing, and then departed safely back to Earth. These ...

''. * Colonel Eileen Collins, USAF: first woman to command a space shuttle mission. * Colonel Gordon Cooper, USAF: one of the original seven American astronauts, pilot of '' Faith 7'' and commander of '' Gemini 5''. * Colonel Guy Gardner: Space Shuttle pilot and recipient of three DFCs. * Colonel

John Glenn John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, engineer, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space, and the first American to orbit the Earth, circling ...

, USMC: (5 awards) One of the original seven American astronauts, first American to orbit the earth in '' Friendship 7'' and United States Senator. * Colonel David Scott, USAF: flew on '' Gemini 8'', '' Apollo 9'' and ''

Apollo 15 Apollo 15 (July 26August 7, 1971) was the ninth crewed mission in the United States' Apollo program and the fourth to Moon landing, land on the Moon. It was the first List of Apollo missions#Alphabetical mission types, J mission, with a ...

''. * Captain Eugene Cernan, USN: pilot of ''

Gemini 9A Gemini 9A (officially Gemini IX-A) With Gemini IV, NASA changed to Roman numerals for Gemini mission designations. was a 1966 crewed spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the seventh crewed Gemini flight, the 13th crewed American flight ...

'', lunar module pilot of '' Apollo 10'' and commander of ''

Apollo 17 Apollo 17 (December 7–19, 1972) was the final mission of NASA's Apollo program, the most recent time humans have set foot on the Moon or traveled beyond low Earth orbit. Commander Gene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt walked on ...

''. One of only 3 persons to have flown to the Moon twice. * Captain Pete Conrad, USN: commander of ''

Apollo 12 Apollo 12 (November 14–24, 1969) was the sixth crewed flight in the United States Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. It was launched on November 14, 1969, by NASA from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Commander Pete Conra ...

'' and ''

Skylab 2 Skylab 2 (also SL-2 and SLM-1) was the first crewed mission to Skylab, the first American orbital space station. The mission was launched on an Apollo command and service module by a Saturn IB rocket on May 25, 1973, and carried NASA astronau ...

''. * Captain Robert Crippen, USN: pilot on first space shuttle mission. * Captain

Mark Kelly Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, former astronaut, and United States Navy captain who has served as the junior United States senator from Arizona since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he was electe ...

, USN: pilot on four space shuttle missions, commander for two, including the final mission of Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'', and recipient of 2 DFCs. * Captain Scott Kelly, USN: Lived for one year on the International Space Station. * Captain Jim Lovell, USN: pilot of ''

Gemini 7 Gemini 7 (officially Gemini VII) With Gemini IV, NASA changed to Roman numerals for Gemini mission designations. was a 1965 crewed spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the fourth crewed Gemini flight, the twelfth crewed American spacefli ...

'', Commander of '' Gemini 12'', Command Module Pilot of ''

'', and Commander of ''

Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted aft ...

''. * Captain Wally Schirra, USN: one of the original seven American astronauts flew on '' Sigma 7'', '' Gemini 6A'' and as commander of ''

Apollo 7 Apollo 7 (October 1122, 1968) was the first crewed flight in NASA's Apollo program, and saw the resumption of human spaceflight by the agency after the fire that killed the three Apollo 1 astronauts during a launch rehearsal test on Ja ...

''. * Captain John Young, USN: flew on '' Apollo 10'' and ''

Apollo 16 Apollo 16 (April 1627, 1972) was the tenth crewed mission in the United States Apollo space program, administered by NASA, and the fifth and penultimate to land on the Moon. It was the second of Apollo's " J missions", with an extended sta ...

'', commander of the first space shuttle mission. * Lieutenant Colonel

Duane Carey Duane Gene "Digger" Carey (born April 30, 1957) is a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and a former NASA astronaut. He piloted the space shuttle ''Columbia'' on March 1, 2002, during a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mis ...

, USAF: Space Shuttle pilot. Awarded with Valor Device. * Lieutenant Colonel Gus Grissom, USAF: one of the original seven American astronauts, second American in space on '' Liberty Bell 7''. * Commander Scott Carpenter, USN: one of the original seven American astronauts, flew on '' Aurora 7'', and aquanaut with

SEALAB SEALAB I, II, and III were experimental underwater habitats developed by the United States Navy in the 1960s to prove the viability of saturation diving and humans living in isolation for extended periods of time. The knowledge gained from the ...

project. * Major Deke Slayton, USAF: one of the original seven American astronauts, NASA chief astronaut and docking module pilot for the Apollo–Soyuz mission. Note: Although astronaut

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...

'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

* Lieutenant

, USNR: President of the United States. * Major General

Patrick J. Hurley Patrick Jay Hurley (January 8, 1883July 30, 1963) was an American politician and diplomat. He was the United States Secretary of War from 1929 to 1933, but is best remembered for being Ambassador to China in 1945, during which he was instrumenta ...

, USAR: Secretary of War. * Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton, USN: US Senator. * Brigadier General Joe Foss, ANG: Medal of Honor recipient and Governor of South Dakota. * Colonel Bruce Sundlun, USAFR: Governor of Rhode Island. * Colonel

Lloyd Bentsen Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. (February 11, 1921 – May 23, 2006) was an American politician who was a four-term United States Senator (1971–1993) from Texas and the Democratic Party nominee for vice president in 1988 on the Michael Dukakis ti ...

, USAFR: US Senator, Secretary of the Treasury, and vice presidential candidate. * Colonel Alexander Butterfield, USAF: aide to President Richard Nixon. * Captain

John S. McCain, III John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

, USN: US Senator and presidential candidate. * Captain

Jim Wright James Claude Wright Jr. (December 22, 1922 – May 6, 2015) was an American politician who served as the 48th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1989. He represented Texas's 12th congressional district as a ...

, USAAF: Speaker of the US House of Representatives. * Captain Bruce Alger, USAAF: US Representative. * Captain

Peter H. Dominick Peter Hoyt Dominick (July 7, 1915 – March 18, 1981) was an American diplomat, politician and lawyer from Colorado. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the United States Senate from 1963 to 1975. His uncle, Howard Alexander Smith, wa ...

, USAAF: US Senator. * Captain William Hathaway, USAAF: US Senator. * Captain

Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...

, USMC: US Senator. * First Lieutenant

, USAAF: US Senator, presidential candidate. * First Lieutenant Ted Stevens, USAAF: US Senator. * First Lieutenant

Richard Harding Poff Richard Harding "Dick" Poff (October 19, 1923 – June 27, 2011) was an American politician and judge. He was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1952 from Virginia's 6th congressional district. An attorney and a Repub ...

, USAAF: US Representative. * First Lieutenant John Ehrlichman, USAAF: aide to President Richard Nixon. * First Lieutenant

Brendan Byrne Brendan Thomas Byrne (April 1, 1924 – January 4, 2018) was an American politician, statesman, and prosecutor, serving as the 47th governor of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrne started his career as a privat ...

, USAAC: Governor of New Jersey.

Civilians

* Glenn Curtiss: aircraft designer. Posthumously awarded in 1933. *

: legendary aviatrix. First woman to receive the DFC by an act of Congress in 1932. * Eugene Burton Ely: first person to make a ship-board landing in an aircraft. Posthumously awarded in 1933. *

Harold Gatty Harold Charles Gatty (5 January 1903 – 30 August 1957) was an Australian navigator and aviation pioneer. Charles Lindbergh called Gatty the "Prince of Navigators."Gywnn-Jones, Terry, ''Harold Gatty, Aviation Navigation Expert'', Aviation Histo ...

: Navigator with Wiley Post on record-breaking around the world flight. Awarded in 1932. * Wiley Post: completed record-breaking around-the-world flight and was the first person to fly solo around the world. Awarded in 1932. *

: flamboyant air racing champion. Presented in 1952. (Last award of the DFC to a civilian.) * Orville Wright: aviation pioneer. Awarded by Act of Congress on December 18, 1928.Awarded by Act of Congress December 18, 1928. * Wilbur Wright: aviation pioneer. Posthumously awarded by Act of Congress on December 18, 1928.

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. * Squadron Leader Robert Stanford Tuck, RAF: distinguished British pilot and flying ace during World War II * Group Captain Petrus Hendrik Hugo, RAF: South African born fighter ace, World War II. Corsica 1944 * Colonel

Francesco De Pinedo Francesco de Pinedo (February 16, 1890 – September 2, 1933) was a famous Italian aviator. A ''Regia Marina'' (Italy's Royal Navy) officer who transferred to the '' Regia Aeronautica'' (Italy's Royal Air Force), he was an advocate of the se ...

Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...

: 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 Joseph Le Brix (22 February 1899 - 12 September 1931) was a French aviator and a ''capitaine de corvette'' (lieutenant commander) in the French Navy. He is best known for an around-the-world flight he made as copilot and navigator in 1927-1928 wh ...

: French Navy: completed around the world flight. * Commandant

James Fitzmaurice James Michael Christopher Fitzmaurice DFC (6 January 1898 – 26 September 1965) was an Irish aviation pioneer. He was a member of the crew of the ''Bremen'', which made the first successful trans-Atlantic aircraft flight from East to West ...

: Irish Air Corps. Flew on first non-stop westward crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on the ''Bremen''. * Major

Arthur Chin Arthur Tien Chin (, Cantonese: Chan Sui-Tin; October 23, 1913 – September 3, 1997) was a pilot from the United States who participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Chin was compelled to defend his father's homeland when Japan invaded China. ...

, 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 Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld (1 May 1892 – 5 February 1929) was a German aviation pioneer and initiator of the first transatlantic aeroplane flight from East to West. Early life Hünefeld was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, th ...

: German aristocrat: flew on first non-stop westward crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.

Celebrities

* Brigadier General

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

, USAFR: World War II B-24 pilot and Group Operations Officer. Academy Award-winning actor. * Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, USAF: test pilot and first human to break the sound barrier. * Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Coleman, USMC: World War II and Korean War pilot. Second baseman for the New York Yankees and long-time broadcaster for the San Diego Padres. * Major Clark Gable, USAAF: Star of '' Gone with the Wind'' who flew on five bombing missions during World War II. * Major Wolfgang Reitherman, USAAF: World War pilot. Animator, director and producer for Disney animated movies. * Captain Don Herbert, USAAF: World War II B-24 pilot. Creator and host of the ''

Watch Mr. Wizard ''Watch Mr. Wizard'' was an American television program for children that demonstrates the science behind ordinary things. The show's creator and on-air host was Don Herbert. Author Marcel LaFollette says of the program, "It enjoyed consistent pra ...

'' and ''Mr. Wizard's World'' television programs. * Captain

Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...

, USAAF: Creator of the ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' television series and franchise. * Captain Dan Rowan, USAAF: P-40 Warhawk pilot and star of ''

Laugh In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Dan ...

''. * Captain Cal Worthington, USAAF: Legendary car salesman. * First Lieutenant

Jack Valente Jack Joseph Valenti (September 5, 1921 – April 26, 2007) was an American political advisor and lobbyist who served as a Special Assistant to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was also the longtime president of the Motion Picture Association ...

, USAAF: Longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America. * Corporal

Sabu Dastagir Sabu Dastagir (possibly born Selar Sabu; 27 January 1924 – 2 December 1963) was an Indian actor who later gained United States citizenship. Throughout his career he was credited under the name Sabu and is primarily known for his work in ...

, USAAF: Indian-American actor who served as a

B-24 The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

tail gunner during World War II.

United States Air Force, Army Air Forces, and Army Air Corps

* General of the Air Force

Henry H. Arnold Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...

, USAF: commander of the US Army Air Forces during World War II. * General

Samuel E. Anderson General Samuel Egbert Anderson (January 6, 1906 – September 12, 1982) was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as commander of the Air Materiel Command. Early life and education He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina ...

, USAF: commander of the

5th Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...

during the Korean War. * General Jimmy Doolittle, USAF: leader of the Doolittle Raid. * General

Leon W. Johnson General Leon William Johnson (13 September 1904 – 10 November 1997) was a United States Air Force general who was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading the attack on the Ploesti oil fields during World War II. A graduate of the United Sta ...

, USAF: leader in the Ploesti Raid and commander of the Continental Air Command. * General

George S. Brown George Scratchley Brown (17 August 1918 – 5 December 1978) was a United States Air Force general who served as the eighth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he served as the senior military adviser to the president of th ...

, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General

, USAF: commander of the 8th Air Force during World War II. * General

Charles A. Gabriel Charles Alvin Gabriel (January 21, 1928 – September 4, 2003) was the 11th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff, Gabriel served in a dual capacity. He was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff which, as a body, acts as ...

, 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 David Charles Jones (July 9, 1921 – August 10, 2013) was a United States Air Force general and the ninth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, Jones served as the highest-ranking uniformed officer of the United States Armed ...

, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General

George C. Kenney George Churchill Kenney (August 6, 1889 – August 9, 1977) was a United States Army general during World War II. He is best known as the commander of the Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), a position he held between Augu ...

, USAF: first commander of

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...

. * General Curtis Lemay, USAF: Air Force Chief of Staff and vice presidential candidate. * General

Seth J. McKee Seth Jefferson McKee (November 6, 1916 – December 26, 2016) was a United States Air Force general who served as Commander in Chief, North American Air Defense Command/Commander in Chief, Continental Air Defense Command from 1969 to 1973. Early ...

, USAF:

NORAD North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection ...

commander and

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

veteran. * General

John C. Meyer General John Charles Meyer (April 3, 1919 – December 2, 1975) was an American World War II flying ace, and later the commander-in-chief of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) and director of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff at Of ...

, USAF: commander of Strategic Air Command. Seven DFCs * General

Richard B. Myers Richard Bowman Myers (born March 1, 1942) is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force who served as the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As chairman, Myers was the highest ranking uniformed officer of the United Stat ...

, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General

Joseph W. Ralston General Joseph Wood Ralston (born November 4, 1943) is currently the United States Special Envoy for countering the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and holds senior positions in various defense related corporations. He was previously a career offic ...

, USAF: Supreme Allied Commander for NATO. * General

Carl Spaatz Carl Andrew Spaatz (born Spatz; June 28, 1891 – July 14, 1974), nicknamed "Tooey", was an American World War II general. As commander of Strategic Air Forces in Europe in 1944, he successfully pressed for the bombing of the enemy's oil product ...

, USAF: first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. * General

Nathan F. Twining Nathan Farragut Twining ( ; October 11, 1897 – March 29, 1982) was a United States Air Force general, born in Monroe, Wisconsin. He was the chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1953 until 1957, and the third chairman of the Joi ...

, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews, USAAF: died in accident in 1943. * Lieutenant General

Royal N. Baker Lieutenant General Royal Newman "King" Baker (November 27, 1918 – May 1, 1976) was a United States Air Force (USAF) flying ace during the Korean War. He accrued 13 victories in the war. Baker was one of the few military aviators who flew opera ...

, USAF: flew combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. * Lieutenant General

Lewis H. Brereton Lewis Hyde Brereton (June 21, 1890 – July 20, 1967) was a military aviation pioneer and lieutenant general in the United States Air Force. A 1911 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he began his military career as a United States Army o ...

, USAF: commander of the Ninth Air Force during World War II. * Lieutenant General

George H. Brett George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are second-mo ...

, 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. Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. (December 18, 1912 – July 4, 2002) was a United States Air Force (USAF) general and commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen. He was the first African-American brigadier general in the USAF. On December 9, 1998, h ...

, USAF: first African-American US Air Force general. * Lieutenant General

Robert E. Kelley Robert E. Kelley (November 3, 1933 – February 5, 2021) was a United States Air Force lieutenant general, the ninth Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He retired as a lieutenant general on September 1, 1986. Early life and educati ...

, USAF: Vietnam War combat pilot and USAFA Superintendent. * Lieutenant General

Elwood Richard Quesada Elwood Richard Quesada, Order of the Bath, CB, CBE (April 13, 1904 – February 9, 1993), List of aviators by nickname#P, nicknamed "Pete", was a United States Air Force General officer, Lt. General, FAA administrator, and, later, a club owner in ...

, USAF: first commander of

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

. * Lieutenant General

George E. Stratemeyer Lieutenant General George Edward Stratemeyer (24 November 1890 – 9 August 1969) was a senior commander in the United States Air Force. He held senior command appointments in the China Burma India Theater of World War II and was Far East Air For ...

, USAF: commander of Far East Air Forces during the Korean War. * Major General

Orvil A. Anderson Orvil Orson "Andy" Anderson (May 2, 1895 - August 24, 1965) was born in Springville, Utah. Anderson was an Army and Air Force officer, and a pioneer Army balloonist. In 1935 he and Albert William Stevens won the Mackay Trophy when they set a record ...

, 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 Uzal Girard Ent CBE (March 3, 1900 – March 5, 1948) was an American Army Air Forces officer who served as the commander of the Second Air Force during World War II. Biography Ent was born on March 3, 1900, in Northumberland, Pennsylv ...

, USAAF: leader of the Ploesti Raid. * Major General

Caleb V. Haynes Caleb Vance Haynes (March 15, 1895 – April 5, 1966) was a United States Air Force (USAF) major general. The grandson of Chang Bunker, a famous Siamese Twin, he served in the Air Force as an organizer, able to create air units from scratch. ...

, USAF: bomber commander of the China Air Task Force. * Major General

Frank O'Driscoll Hunter Frank O'Driscoll Hunter (December 8, 1894 – June 25, 1982) was a World War I flying ace, being credited by the United States Army Air Service with downing nine enemy aircraft. Hunter became an advocate of fighter aircraft strategy and tactics. I ...

, USAAF * Major General Robert Olds, USAAF: father of ace Robin Olds. * Major General

Robert A. Rushworth Robert Aitken "Bob" Rushworth (October 9, 1924 – March 18, 1993) was an American United States Air Force major general, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War pilot, mechanical and aeronautical engineer, test pilot and astronaut. He was one o ...

, USAF: X-15 pilot. * Major General Clarence A. Shoop, USAAF: WWII observation pilot * Major General

Mele "Mel" Vojvodich Mele Vojvodich Jr. (March 28, 1929 – November 3, 2003) was an American aviator and major general in the United States Air Force. He was one of the initial five pilots who flew reconnaissance missions in the Lockheed A-12 surveillance aircraf ...

, USAF: pilot for the CIA in Vietnam, three DFCs. * Brigadier General Frederick Walker Castle, USAAF: four DFCs. * Brigadier General

Gerald Goodfellow Gerald V. Goodfellow is a retired United States Air Force brigadier general, and the current Chief Executive Officer of thSmall Business Consulting Corporation Goodfellow was commissioned in 1989 through the University of New Mexico Air Force ROT ...

, USAF: B1-Lancer offensive systems officer, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for action during Operation Allied Force. * Brigadier General

Charles A. Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

, 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 Brigadier General Richard Stephen "Steve" Ritchie (born June 25, 1942) served as an officer in the United States Air Force and the Colorado Air National Guard, and a general officer in the Air Force Reserve. Ritchie joined Navy Commander Randy Cun ...

, USAF: only US Air Force ace of the Vietnam War, with five kills. * Brigadier General Elliott Roosevelt, USAAF: son of President

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

. * Brigadier General

Robert Lee Scott Jr. Robert Lee Scott Jr. (12 April 1908 – 27 February 2006) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force and a flying ace of World War II, credited with shooting down 13 Japanese aircraft. Scott is best known for his memoir, ''God is My ...

, USAF: fighter pilot who earned three DFCs. * Brigadier General

Dale E. Stovall Dale E. Stovall (born February 19, 1944) is a retired Brigadier General in the United States Air Force who figured prominently in several search and rescue operations during the Vietnam War. A member of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squ ...

, USAF: Vietnam War CSAR pilot who rescued

Roger Locher Roger Clinton Locher (born September 13, 1946) is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and a former McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II Navigator/Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) and subsequent Pilot who, during the Vietnam War and Operation Line ...

, deepest rescue inside North Vietnam. * Brigadier General

Kenneth M. Taylor Kenneth Marlar Taylor (December 23, 1919 – November 25, 2006) was a United States Air Force officer and a flying ace of World War II. He was a new United States Army Air Corps Second Lieutenant#United States, second lieutenant pilot stationed a ...

, USAF: one of the few American fighter pilots to get airborne during the attack on Pearl Harbor. * Brigadier General Paul Tibbets, USAF: pilot of the ''

Enola Gay The ''Enola Gay'' () is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. On 6 August 1945, piloted by Tibbets and Robert A. Lewis during the final stages of World War II, it be ...

''. * Colonel

Bernt Balchen Bernt Balchen (23 October 1899 – 17 October 1973) was a Norwegian pioneer polar aviator, navigator, aircraft mechanical engineer and military leader. A Norwegian native, he later became an American citizen and was a recipient of the Distingu ...

, 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 Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen (June 29, 1934 – December 14, 1987) was a United States Air Force officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. Early life Dethle ...

, USAF: Vietnam War

F-105 The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Viet ...

pilot. * Colonel

Bernard F. Fisher Bernard Francis "Bernie" Fisher (pronounced ''Bernerd'') (January 11, 1927 – August 16, 2014) was a United States Air Force officer and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He was the first Air Force member ...

, USAF: Vietnam War

A-1 Skyraider The Douglas A-1 Skyraider (formerly known as the AD Skyraider) is an American single-seat attack aircraft in service from 1946 to the early 1980s. The Skyraider had an unusually long career, remaining in front-line service well into the Jet Age ...

pilot. * Colonel

James P. Fleming James Phillip Fleming (born March 12, 1943) is a former United States Air Force pilot who served in the Vietnam War. Born in Sedalia, Missouri, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing a six-man MACV-SOG reconnaissance team, stranded between ...

, USAF: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Colonel

Joe M. Jackson Joe Madison Jackson (March 14, 1923 – January 12, 2019) served as a career officer in the United States Air Force and received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Vietnam War. On 12 May 1968, he vol ...

, USAF: combat veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. * Colonel

John R. Kane John Riley Kane (January 5, 1907 – May 29, 1996) was a colonel in the United States Army Air Forces and later the United States Air Force who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, in World War II. A native of Texas ...

, 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 James Kenneth Johnson (May 30, 1916 – August 22, 1997) was a colonel in the United States Air Force. In the Korean War he was a double ace, credited with shooting down ten enemy aircraft. He also had one "kill" in World War II, when he was a lieu ...

, USAF: Korean war ace with 11 kills. Recipient of three DFCs. * Colonel

Charles H. MacDonald Colonel Charles Henry "Mac" MacDonald (November 23, 1914 – March 3, 2002) was a United States Air Force officer and a fighter ace of World War II. MacDonald commanded the 475th Fighter Group for 20 months in his P-38 Lightning, "Putt Putt Maru", ...

, USAF: recipient of six DFCs. * Colonel

Ashley Chadbourne McKinley Ashley Chadbourne McKinley (June 23, 1896 – February 11, 1970) was an accomplished American aerial photographer and colonel in the U.S. Army Air Corps who helped pioneer aviation at subzero temperatures. He accompanied Richard E. Byrd as an aer ...

, USAF: Photographer on first flight over the South Pole. * Colonel

Russell Maughan Russell Lowell Maughan (March 28, 1893 – April 21, 1958) was an officer in the United States Army and a pioneer aviator. His career began during World War I, and spanned the period in which military aviation developed from a minor arm of t ...

, USAAF: completed first "dawn to dusk" transcontinental flight. * Colonel David C. Schilling, USAF: recipient of 11 DFCs. * Colonel

Lowell Smith Lowell Herbert Smith (October 8, 1892 – November 4, 1945) was a pioneer American airman who piloted the first airplane to receive a complete mid-air refueling (along with Lt. John P. Richter) on June 27, 1923, and later set an endurance rec ...

, USAAF: conducted first aerial refueling and commanded first aerial circumnavigation of the globe. * Colonel

Robert E. Thacker Robert E. Thacker (February 21, 1918 – November 25, 2020) was an American test pilot, aeromodeling enthusiast and designer, one of the few pilots in history to do tours of duty in two different theaters of operation (Europe and the Pacific) in W ...

, USAF: pilot of record-breaking flight from Honolulu to New York and recipient of three DFCs. * Colonel

Leo K. Thorsness Leo Keith Thorsness (February 14, 1932 – May 2, 2017) was a colonel in the United States Air Force who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War. He was awarded the medal for an air engagement on April 19, 1967. He was shot ...

, USAF: Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam War veteran. * Lieutenant Colonel Lee Archer, USAF: first African-American fighter ace. * Lieutenant Colonel

Leaford Bearskin Leaford Bearskin (September 11, 1921 – November 9, 2012) was a Native American tribal leader and US Air Force officer. He was Chief of the Wyandotte Nation from 1983 to 2011. Military service During the Second World War, Captain Bearski ...

, USAF: veteran of World War II and Korea and also Chief of the Wyandotte Nation. * Lieutenant Colonel

Everett Ernest Blakely Everett Ernest Blakely (July 1, 1919 – September 21, 2004) was a career officer of the United States Air Force. He was a highly decorated B-17 pilot with the “Bloody Hundredth” Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force in Europe du ...

USAF: B-17 Pilot in WW II. Received this medal after a bombing mission to Trondheim, Norway. * Lieutenant Colonel Louis Edward Curdes USAAF: Recipient of two DFCs. One of only three American WW II pilots to shoot down German, Italian and Japanese planes. He also intentionally shot down an American plane. * Lieutenant Colonel

George A. Davis George Andrew Davis Jr. (December 1, 1920 – February 10, 1952) was a highly decorated fighter pilot and flying ace of the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, and later of the United States Air Force during the Korean War. Davis rose ...

, 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 Robert Samuel Johnson (February 21, 1920 – December 27, 1998) was a fighter pilot with the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. He is credited with scoring 27 victories during the conflict flying a Republic P-47 Thunder ...

, USAFR: recipient of nine DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel

Arthur W. Murray Arthur Warren "Kit" Murray (December 26, 1918 – July 25, 2011) was a United States test pilot who flew test flights on the Bell X-1 and the Bell X-5 aircraft. He was the first pilot to see the curvature of the earth and set an unofficial alti ...

, 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 Albert William Stevens (March 13, 1886 – March 26, 1949) was an officer of the United States Army Air Corps, balloonist, and aerial photographer. Biography He was born on March 13, 1886 in Belfast, Maine. He graduated from the Univer ...

, USAAF: participant in both the Explorer I and Explorer II stratospheric balloon flights. * Lieutenant Colonel

Boyd Wagner Lieutenant Colonel Boyd David "Buzz" Wagner (October 26, 1916 – November 29, 1942) was an American aviator and the first United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighter ace of World War II. Early life Wagner was born October 26, 1916 in Emeigh, C ...

, USAAC: first Army Air Corps ace of World War II. * Lieutenant Colonel

Ray Shuey Wetmore Ray Shuey Wetmore (September 30, 1923 – February 14, 1951) was a quadruple ace of United States Army Air Forces over Europe during World War II. He was credited with 21.25 victories in aerial combat. He was killed in an accidental crash of an F-8 ...

, 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. Jay Zeamer Jr. (July 25, 1918 – March 22, 2007) was a pilot of the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific during World War II, who received the Medal of Honor for valor during a B-17 Flying Fortress mission on Ju ...

, 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. Horace Seaver "Stump" Carswell Jr. (July 18, 1916 – October 26, 1944) was a United States Army major who was killed in action while serving as a member of the Army Air Forces during World War II. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. ...

, USAAF: World War II bomber pilot. * Major

George Andrew Davis Jr. George Andrew Davis Jr. (December 1, 1920 – February 10, 1952) was a highly decorated fighter pilot and flying ace of the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, and later of the United States Air Force during the Korean War. Davis rose t ...

, 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 John Trevor Godfrey (March 28, 1922 – June 12, 1958) was an American fighter pilot and flying ace in the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force during World War II. 4th Fighter Group Godfrey achieved 18 air-to-air kills ...

, USAAF: shot down 18 German aircraft. * Major Louis J. Sebille, USAF: Korean War F-51 Mustang pilot, two DFCs. * Major Joseph Thompson Jr., USAAF: Aerial reconnaissance pilot with 90 missions, most behind enemy lines. * Major

MJ Hegar Mary Jennings Hegar ('' née'' von Stein; born March 16, 1976) is an American United States Air Force veteran and former political candidate. In 2012, she sued the U.S. Air Force to remove the Combat Exclusion Policy. In 2017, she published the ...

, USAF: Second female recipient during combat search and rescue mission in Afghanistan. * Major George Welch, USAAF: one of the few American fighter pilots to get airborne during the attack on Pearl Harbor. * Captain Alan "Ace" Cozzalio, US Army: helicopter pilot, (4, 3 Oak leaf clusters) * Captain

Kenneth H. Dahlberg Kenneth Harry Dahlberg (June 30, 1917 – October 4, 2011) was an American businessman and highly decorated World War II fighter ace. According to reporter Bob Woodward, a check made out to Dahlberg was a key part in connecting the Watergate scan ...

, USAAF: business executive and figure in the Watergate scandal, recipient of two DFCs. * Captain

Joseph Elsberry Joseph D. Elsberry (April 25, 1921 – March 31, 1985) was a U.S. Army Air Force officer and a prolific African-American World War II fighter pilot in the 332nd Fighter Group's 301st Fighter Squadron, best known as the famed Tuskegee Airmen, "R ...

, Member of the Tuskegee Airmen. Destroyed three enemy aircraft over France in a single mission on July 12, 1944, and a fourth aircraft in July 20, 1944, becoming the first African American fighter pilot to do so. * Captain

Hawthorne C. Gray Hawthorne Charles Gray (February 16, 1889 – November 4, 1927) was a captain in the United States Army Air Corps. On May 4, 1927, he succeeded in setting a new altitude record in a silk, rubberized, and aluminum-coated balloon launched from Scot ...

, 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 On January 7, 1948, 25-year-old Captain Thomas F. Mantell, a Kentucky Air National Guard pilot, died in the crash of his P-51 Mustang fighter plane near Franklin, Kentucky, United States, after being sent in pursuit of an unidentified flying objec ...

, KYANG: died in pursuit of a

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...

. * Captain Francis Gary Powers, USAF: captured by Soviets when his U-2 spy plane was shot down in 1960. * Captain

Edward L. Toppins Edward Lucien Toppins (June 12, 1915 – December 10, 1946) was a United States Army Air Forces, U.S. Army Air Force officer, commanding officer of the 602nd Air Engineering Squadron, and a celebrated African-American World War II fighter pilot w ...

, member of the famed Red Tails/ Tuskegee Airmen with 4 confirmed aerial kills. * Captain

John S. Walmsley Jr. John Springer Walmsley Jr. (January 7, 1920 – September 14, 1951) was a bomber pilot in the United States Army Air Forces after World War II and the United States Air Force during the Korean War. Walmsley rose to the rank of captain and posthu ...

, USAF: Korean War B-26 pilot. * Captain

Hilliard A. Wilbanks Hilliard Almond Wilbanks (July 26, 1933 – February 24, 1967) was a career officer and pilot in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He Posthumous recognition, posthumously received the Medal of Honor for sacrificing his life on F ...

, USAF: Vietnam War O-1 pilot and Medal of Honor recipient. * Captain

Louis Zamperini Louis Silvie Zamperini (January 26, 1917 – July 2, 2014) was an American World War II veteran and an Olympic distance runner. He took up running in high school and qualified for the United States in the 5,000 m race for the 1936 Ber ...

, 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 Bob Hoover, USAAF: POW and record breaking pilot. * First Lieutenant

Raymond L. Knight Raymond Lee Knight (June 15, 1922 – April 25, 1945) was a United States Army Air Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Biography Knight joined t ...

, USAAF: World War II P-47 pilot. * First Lieutenant

Aleda E. Lutz Aleda Ester Lutz (November 9, 1915 – November 1, 1944) was a United States Army flight nurse. She was the first American woman to die in combat during World War II and, with the exception of Civil War era Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the highest dec ...

, USAAF: World War II Army flight nurse. * First Lieutenant Mary Louise Hawkins, USAAF: World War II Army evacuation flight nurse. * First Lieutenant

Donald D. Pucket Donald Dale Pucket (December 15, 1915 – July 9, 1944) was a United States Army Air Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Biography Pucket joine ...

, USAAF: died during

Operation Tidal Wave Operation Tidal Wave was an air attack by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) based in Libya on nine oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania on 1 August 1943, during World War II. It was a strategic bombing mission and part of ...

. * 2nd Lieutenant

Dean Cullom Smith Dean Cullen Smith (September 27, 1899 – March 4, 1987) was a pioneer American mail pilot, test pilot, flying instructor, Antarctic pilot, and airline pilot. At 17 years of age, he became the youngest flight instructor in U.S. Army history. H ...

, USAACR: pilot for Admiral Byrd's 1928 to 1930 Antarctic Expedition. * Chief Master Sergeant

Duane D. Hackney Duane D. Hackney (June 5, 1947 – September 3, 1993) was a United States Air Force pararescueman. He was the most decorated enlisted man in USAF history and the recipient of 28 decorations for valor in combat and more than 70 awards and deco ...

, USAF: recipient of four DFCs. * Technical Sergeant

Ben Kuroki Ben Kuroki (May 16, 1917 – September 1, 2015) was the only American of Japanese Americans, Japanese descent in the United States Army Air Forces to serve in combat operations in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II, Pacific theater of World ...

, USAAF: Japanese-American veteran of 58 combat missions.

United States Marine Corps

* General

Earl E. Anderson Earl Edward Anderson (June 24, 1919 – November 12, 2015) was an U.S. Marine four-star general. He was the youngest active duty Marine ever promoted to the rank of general and the first active duty Marine Naval Aviator to be promoted to a 4-star ...

, 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 John P. Condon, 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 Brigadier General Robert Edward Galer (24 October 1913 – 27 June 2005) was a naval aviator in the United States Marine Corps who received the Medal of Honor for heroism in aerial combat during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. He went ...

, USMC: commanded VMF-224 on

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

. * Colonel

Kenneth L. Reusser Kenneth L. Reusser (January 27, 1920 – June 20, 2009) was a United States Marine Corps aviator who was considered the most decorated Marine Aviator, having flown 253 combat missions, earning 59 medals, including two Navy Crosses while flying in ...

, 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 Jefferson Joseph DeBlanc (February 15, 1921 – November 22, 2007) was an American World War II Marine Corps fighter pilot and flying ace, credited with shooting down nine Japanese aircraft during two tours of duty in the Pacific at Guadalcanal an ...

, USMC: shot down five planes in a single day. * Colonel

John Lucian Smith John Lucian Smith (December 26, 1914 – June 9, 1972) was an American Medal of Honor recipient and Marine Corps flying ace who, as commanding officer of VMF-223, shot down 19 Japanese planes in World War II and led his squadron to destroy a tota ...

, USMC: leader of the Cactus Air Force on

. * Colonel

James E. Swett James Elms Swett (June 15, 1920 – January 18, 2009) was a United States Marine Corps fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II.

, USMC: shot down 5 planes on his first combat mission and recipient of eight DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel

John F. Bolt John Franklin Bolt (19 May 1921 – 8 September 2004) was a naval aviator in the United States Marine Corps and a decorated flying ace who served during World War II and the Korean War. He remains the only U.S. Marine to achieve ace status ...

, USMC: Only Marine jet fighter ace. Only Naval Aviator to achieve ace status in two wars (WWII and Korea.) * Major William H. May, USMC: FAA Pioneer, recipient of seven DFCs. * Major

Robert Claude Maze Robert Claude Maze (May 25, 1918 – May 27, 1945) was an American military officer and aviator. He was killed in action during the Battle of Okinawa and was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Biography Robert Claude Maze ...

, USMC * Major

Stephen W. Pless Stephen Wesley Pless (September 6, 1939 – July 20, 1969) was a major in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He earned the Medal of Honor as a UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopter pilot for rescuing soldiers trapped by heavy enemy f ...

, USMC * Captain

Donald N. Aldrich Donald Nathan Aldrich (24 October 1917 – 3 May 1947) was a United States Marine Corps Reserve captain and World War II flying ace. With 20 victories, Aldrich was the fifth-highest-scoring Marine Corps ace of the war. He joined the Royal Canadia ...

, USMC: 20 kills. * Captain Cecil A. Alexander Jr., USMCR: modern architect. Recipient of two DFCs during World War II. * Captain

William Allen Northcutt William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

, USMC Fighter/Attack Squadron 115: Vietnam War Veteran * Captain Charles S. Whitehouse, USMC: diplomat, CIA officer and recipient of seven DFCs. * First Lieutenant

Robert M. Hanson Robert Murray Hanson (February 4, 1920 – February 3, 1944) was a United States Marine Corps flying ace who shot down 25 Japanese planes from the South Pacific skies. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor. One of five children, he is the eld ...

, USMC: member of the Black Sheep Squadron with 25 kills.

United States Navy

* Admiral Stan Arthur, USN:

Vice Chief of Naval Operations The vice chief of naval operations (VCNO) is the second highest-ranking commissioned United States Navy officer in the United States Department of the Navy, Department of the Navy and functions as the principal deputy of the Chief of Naval Opera ...

and recipient of 11 DFCs. * Admiral Thomas B. Hayward, USN:

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

. * Admiral

James L. Holloway III James Lemuel Holloway III (February 23, 1922 – November 26, 2019) was a United States Navy admiral and naval aviator who was decorated for his actions during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. After the Vietnam War, he was poste ...

, USN: Chief of Naval Operations. * Admiral

Thomas H. Moorer Thomas Hinman Moorer (February 9, 1912 – February 5, 2004) was an admiral and naval aviator in the United States Navy who served as the chief of naval operations from 1967 to 1970, and as the seventh chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1 ...

, USN: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * Admiral Huntington Hardisty, USN: Commander in Chief of United States Pacific Command. * Vice Admiral

Walter E. Carter Jr. Walter Edward Carter Jr. (born November 4, 1959) is an American retired United States Navy vice admiral and Naval Flight Officer and current academic administrator who is the president of the University of Nebraska System. Carter was confirmed ...

, USN: president of the United States Naval War College and superintendent of the United States Naval Academy. * Vice Admiral

John T. Hayward John Tucker "Chick" Hayward (15 November 1908 – 23 May 1999) was an American naval aviator during World War II. He helped develop one of the two atomic bombs that was dropped on Japan in the closing days of the war. Later, he was a pioneer ...

, USN: president of the United States Naval War College. * Vice Admiral

Diego E. Hernández Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernandez (March 25, 1934 – July 7, 2017) was a United States Navy officer who was the first Hispanic American to be named Vice Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Early years Hernandez (birth ...

, USN: vice commander of

. * Vice Admiral

Edward H. Martin Edward Holmes Martin (September 30, 1931 – December 23, 2014) was a Vice admiral (United States), vice admiral in the United States Navy. Martin attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in the class of 1954. He was also an alumnus of ...

, USN: POW for over five years. * Vice Admiral

James B. Stockdale James Bond "Jim" Stockdale (December 23, 1923 – July 5, 2005) was a United States Navy vice admiral and aviator, awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, during which he was a prisoner of war for over seven years. Stockdale was the mo ...

, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, POW in Vietnam, president of the United States Naval War College and vice presidential candidate. * Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, organized and led first flights over the north and south poles. * Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton, USN: Navy Cross recipient, POW in Vietnam for seven and a half years. * Rear Admiral

Wade McClusky Rear Admiral Clarence Wade McClusky, Jr., (June 1, 1902 – June 27, 1976) was a United States Navy aviator during World War II and the early Cold War period. He is credited with having played a major part in the Battle of Midway. In the words of ...

, USN: hero of the Battle of Midway. * Captain

Michael J. Estocin Michael John Estocin (April 27, 1931 – April 26, 1967 (presumed)) was a United States Navy officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. Biography Estoci ...

, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, missing in action in the Vietnam War. * Captain Cecil E. Harris, USN: second highest scoring Navy ace with 24 kills. Recipient of three DFCs. * Captain David McCampbell, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, top US Navy ace of World War II. * Captain

Royce Williams Elmer Royce Williams (born 4 April 1925) is a retired United States Navy pilot. He is known for his solo dogfight with seven Soviet pilots during the Korean War, which, according to ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'', has been called "one of the gr ...

, USN: ace fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, awarded two DFCs. * Commander

Everett Alvarez Jr. Everett Alvarez Jr. (born December 23, 1937) is a former United States Navy officer who endured one of the longest periods as a prisoner of war (POW) in Military history of the United States, U.S. military history. Alvarez was the first U.S. pilot ...

, USN: POW in Vietnam for eight years and seven months. * Commander

Stephen Coonts Stephen Coonts (born July 19, 1946) is an American spy thriller and suspense novelist. Early life, education, and military career Stephen Coonts grew up in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a small coal mining town. Following high school graduation, h ...

, USNR: Vietnam War veteran, lawyer and author. * Commander

Eugene A. Valencia Jr. Eugene Anthony Valencia Jr. (13 April 1921 – 15 September 1972) was a 3rd highest scoring United States Navy fighter ace in World War II with 23 claims. Early life A native of San Francisco, Valencia was born on 13 April 1921 and attended junior ...

, USNR: 23 aerial victories in World War II, awarded five DFCs. * Lieutenant Commander

Ira C. Kepford Ira Cassius Kepford (May 29, 1919 – January 19, 1987) was an American flying ace of World War II who served with a land-based unit of the United States Navy. In 76 days of combat flying with the VF-17 "Jolly Rogers," he was credited with ...

, USNR: 16 aerial victories in World War II. * Lieutenant Commander Edward "Butch" O'Hare, USN: shot down 3 Japanese bombers and damaged two others on a single flight. Two DFCs. * Lieutenant Commander

George Otto Noville George Otto Noville (April 24, 1890 – January 1, 1963), also known as "Noville" and "Rex," was a pioneer in polar and trans-Atlantic aviation in the 1920s, and winner of the Distinguished Flying Cross. He served with Commander Richard E. B ...

, USNR: flew on second non-stop trans-Atlantic flight with Richard E. Byrd. * Lieutenant Commander Richard Halsey Best, USN : the first pilot to successfully bomb two Japanese carriers, the ''Akagi'' and the ''Hiryu'', in one day * Lieutenant

Harold June Harold Irving June (1895–1962) was a machinist, an aviator, a test pilot, and an explorer in Antarctica. He is best known for his 1928–1930 service in the first Antarctic expedition of Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Sitting in the co-pilot's seat ...

, USN: co-pilot of first flight over the South Pole. * Lieutenant

Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. (July 25, 1915 – August 12, 1944) was the eldest of the nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. A US Navy lieutenant, he was killed in action during World War II while serving as a l ...

, USNR: Navy Cross recipient and brother of President John F. Kennedy. * Lieutenant

Dieter Dengler Dieter Dengler (May 22, 1938 – February 7, 2001) was a German-born United States Navy aviator during the Vietnam War and, following six months of imprisonment and torture, became the second captured U.S. airman to escape enemy captivity ...

, USN: Navy Cross recipient. * Ensign Jesse L. Brown, USNR: first African-American naval aviator.

United States Coast Guard

* Vice Admiral

John Currier Vice Admiral John P. Currier (December 18, 1951 – March 1, 2020) was the 28th Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. He assumed the position from Vice Admiral Sally Brice-O'Hara on May 18, 2012 and was relieved on May 20, 2014 by Vi ...

USCG

United States Army

* General of the Army

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...

: Medal of Honor recipient, Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1930–1935), commander of the Southwest Pacific Area (1942–1945) and commander of United Nations forces in Korea (1950–1951). DFC awarded for supervising and observing in person the Sukchon-Sunchon airborne operation north of Pyongyang. * General Alexander Haig, USA: NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe and Secretary of State. * General

Wayne A. Downing Wayne Allan Downing (May 10, 1940 – July 18, 2007) was a four-star United States Army general born in Peoria, Illinois. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1962 and held a Master of Busine ...

, USA: commander of United States Special Operations Command. * General John W. Foss, USA: combat veteran of Vietnam and Commander United States Army Training and Doctrine Command * General

Frederick M. Franks Jr. Frederick Melvin Franks Jr. (born 1 November 1936) is a retired general of the United States Army. He commanded the Gulf War coalition VII Corps in the highly successful "Left Hook" maneuver against fourteen Iraqi divisions, a number of which w ...

, USA: commander of

VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VII R ...

during Operation Desert Storm. * General John Galvin, USA: NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe. * General Frederick Kroesen, USA: combat veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam and commander of

7th United States Army United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM ...

. * General

Gary E. Luck Gary Edward Luck (born August 5, 1937) is a retired four-star general of the United States Army. Following his retirement, he was a senior advisor to the United States Joint Forces Command prior to that command's inactivation. He is currently a Se ...

, USA: commander, United States Forces Korea. * General

Edward C. Meyer Edward Charles "Shy" Meyer (December 11, 1928 – October 13, 2020) was a United States Army general who served as the 29th Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Early life Meyer was born in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, on December 11, 1928. Up ...

, USA: Chief of Staff of the United States Army. * General Dennis J. Reimer, USA: Chief of Staff of the United States Army. * General

Roscoe Robinson Jr. Roscoe Robinson Jr. (October 11, 1928 – July 22, 1993) was the first African American to become a four-star general in the United States Army. He served as the United States representative to the NATO Military Committee. Robinson previously se ...

, USA: first African-American US Army four star general. * General

Bernard W. Rogers Bernard William Rogers (July 16, 1921 – October 27, 2008) was a United States Army general who served as the 28th Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and later as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander in Chief, United Sta ...

, USA: Chief of Staff of the United States Army and Supreme Allied Commander for NATO. * General Norman Schwarzkopf, USA: commander of Operation Desert Storm. * General Donn A. Starry, USA: commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. * General

Sam S. Walker Sam Sims Walker (July 31, 1925 – August 8, 2015) was a United States Army general who served as the Commanding General of Allied Land Forces, South East Europe from 1977 to 1978. Military career Walker was born at West Point, New York, the son ...

, USA: son of General Walton Walker and superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute. * General Walton Walker, USA: commander of the 8th Army in Korea and recipient of two DFCs. * General

Melvin Zais Melvin Zais (May 8, 1916 – May 7, 1981) was a United States Army general who served in the Second World War and Vietnam War. Military career A 1933 graduate of B.M.C. Durfee High School, Zais attended the University of New Hampshire and gradu ...

, USA: commander of the

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...

in Vietnam. * Lieutenant General

Edward Almond Lieutenant General Edward Mallory Almond (December 12, 1892 – June 11, 1979) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in World War I, World War II, where he commanded the 92nd Infantry Division, and the Korean War, where he commanded ...

, USA: commanded

X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to: France * 10th Army Corps (France) * X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * X ...

during the Korean War. * Lieutenant General

Hobart R. Gay Lieutenant General Hobart Raymond Gay (May 16, 1894 – August 19, 1983), nicknamed "Hap", was a United States Army officer who served in numerous conflicts, including World War II, where he worked closely alongside General George S. Patton, and l ...

, USA: commanded the 1st Cavalry Division in the Korean War. * Lieutenant General

David E. Grange David E. Grange Jr. (April 9, 1925 – September 11, 2022) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. Early life Grange was born on April 9, 1925, in Richmond Hill, New York, New York City, and grew up in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York. He ...

, USA: combat veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam and commander of the Sixth United States Army. * Lieutenant General

James F. Hollingsworth James Francis Hollingsworth (March 24, 1918 – March 2, 2010) was a United States Army Lieutenant-General. Early life Hollingsworth was born and raised a few miles north of Sanger, Texas. In 1935 he entered North Texas Agricultural College, ...

, USA: combat veteran of World War II and Vietnam. Recipient of three DFCs. * Lieutenant General

Thomas Tackaberry Thomas Howard Tackaberry (September 6, 1923 – April 3, 2017) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. He was a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War and was a recipient of three Distinguished Service Crosses an ...

, USA: combat veteran of Korea and Vietnam and commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps. * Major General

Patrick Henry Brady Patrick Henry Brady (born October 1, 1936), is a retired United States Army major general. While serving as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War, he received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor. Early life Br ...

, USA: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Major General George Patton IV, USA: Son of General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

. * Colonel

Bruce P. Crandall Bruce Perry Crandall (born February 17, 1933) is a retired United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a pilot during the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965, in South Vietnam. During the battle, he flew 22 ...

, USA: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Colonel

David Hackworth David Haskell Hackworth (November 11, 1930 – May 4, 2005), also known as Hack, was a prominent journalist, military journalist and a famous former United States Army colonel who was decorated in both the Korean War and Vietnam War. Hackworth ...

, USA: highly decorated Army officer, commentator and author. * Lieutenant Colonel Bo Gritz, USA: highly decorated

Special Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

officer in Vietnam. * Lieutenant Colonel

John Paul Vann John Paul Vann (born John Paul Tripp; July 2, 1924 – June 9, 1972) was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well known for his role in the Vietnam War. Although separated from the military before the Vietnam ...

, USA: military advisor in Vietnam. * Major Lauri Törni, USA: Veteran of the Finnish Army, Waffen SS during World War II and U.S. Army

in Vietnam. * Chief Warrant Officer

Richard McCoy Jr. Richard Floyd McCoy Jr. (December 7, 1942 – November 9, 1974) was an American aircraft hijacker. McCoy hijacked a United Airlines passenger jet for ransom in April 1972. Due to a similar ''modus operandi'', McCoy has been proposed as the pe ...

, USA: Vietnam veteran and aircraft hijacker. * Command Sergeant Major

Silas L. Copeland Silas Lee Copeland (April 2, 1920 – December 4, 2001) was a United States Army soldier who served as the third Sergeant Major of the Army. He was sworn in on October 1, 1970, and served until June, 1973. Early life Copeland was born in Embryfie ...

, USA: Sergeant Major of the Army.

References

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
{{Authority control Awards established in 1926 Courage awards Military awards and decorations of the United States Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

History

World War II

Criteria

Appearance

Devices

DFC National Memorial Act

Notable recipients of the DFC

Astronauts

Political figures

Civilians

Foreign citizens

Celebrities

United States Air Force, Army Air Forces, and Army Air Corps

United States Marine Corps

United States Navy

United States Coast Guard

United States Army

See also

References

Further reading

External links