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 United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

. 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 The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

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 Ennis Clement Whitehead (September 3, 1895 – October 12, 1964) was an early United States Army aviator and a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. Whitehead joined the U. S. Army after the United States entered World War I ...

Charles 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 ...

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 Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer and explorer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, p ...

, 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 Floyd Bennett (October 25, 1890 – April 25, 1928) was a United States Naval Aviator, along with then USN Commander Richard E. Byrd, to have made the first flight to the North Pole in May 1926. However, their claim to have reached the pole is di ...

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 World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. 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 Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 – August 15, 1935) was a famed American aviator during the interwar period and the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high-altitude flying, Post helped develop one ...

Jacqueline Cochran Jacqueline Cochran (May 11, 1906 – August 9, 1980) was an American pilot and business executive. She pioneered women's aviation as one of the most prominent racing pilots of her generation. She set numerous records and was the first woman to br ...

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 Charles Curtis (January 25, 1860 – February 8, 1936) was an American attorney and Republican politician from Kansas who served as the 31st vice president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 under Herbert Hoover. He had served as the Sena ...

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 The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

. 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 The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

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 Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''o ...

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 A medal ribbon, service ribbon or ribbon bar is a small ribbon, mounted on a small metal bar equipped with an attaching device, which is generally issued for wear in place of a medal when it is not appropriate to wear the actual medal. Each cou ...

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 Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...

s 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 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 was ...

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 ...

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

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 Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

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 Apollo 10 (May 18–26, 1969) was a human spaceflight, the fourth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, and the second (after Apollo8) to orbit the Moon. NASA described it as a "dress rehearsal" for the first Moon landing, and ...

'', commander of the ''

Apollo–Soyuz Apollo–Soyuz was the first crewed international space mission, carried out jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union in July 1975. Millions of people around the world watched on television as a United States Apollo spacecraft docked ...

'' 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 Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, an ...

'' mission to the Moon. * Major General

Joe Engle Joe Henry Engle (born August 26, 1932) is an American pilot, aeronautical engineer and former NASA astronaut. He was the commander of two Space Shuttle missions including STS-2 in 1981, the program's second orbital flight. He also flew three fl ...

, USAF:

X-15 The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft. It was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft. The X-15 set speed ...

and

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...

pilot. * Rear Admiral

Alan Shepard Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. In 1961, he became the second person and the first American to travel into space and, in 1971, he beca ...

, USN: one of the original seven American astronauts, first American in space in ''

Freedom 7 Mercury-Redstone 3, or ''Freedom 7'', was the first United States human spaceflight, on May 5, 1961, piloted by astronaut Alan Shepard. It was the first crewed flight of Project Mercury. The project had the ultimate objective of putting an astr ...

'', 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 James Alton McDivitt (June 10, 1929 – October 13, 2022) was an American test pilot, United States Air Force (USAF) pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut in the Gemini and Apollo programs. He joined the USAF in 1951 and flew 1 ...

, USAF: commander of ''

Gemini 4 Gemini 4 (officially Gemini IV) With Gemini IV, NASA changed to Roman numerals for Gemini mission designations. was the second crewed spaceflight in NASA's Project Gemini, occurring in June 1965. It was the tenth crewed American spaceflight (inc ...

'' and ''

Apollo 9 Apollo 9 (March 313, 1969) was the third human spaceflight in NASA's Apollo program. Flown in low Earth orbit, it was the second crewed Apollo mission that the United States launched via a Saturn V rocket, and was the first flight of the ful ...

''. * Colonel

Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin (; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission. As the Lunar Module ''Eagle'' pilot on the 1969 A ...

, USAF: Lunar Module pilot for ''

'', second man to walk on the Moon. * Colonel

Frank Borman Frank Frederick Borman II (born March 14, 1928) is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) colonel, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, businessman, and NASA astronaut. He was the commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moo ...

, 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 Eileen Marie Collins (born 19 November 1956) is a retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force (USAF) colonel. A former flight instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and the first to command a ...

, USAF: first woman to command a space shuttle mission. * Colonel

Gordon Cooper Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper Jr. (March 6, 1927 – October 4, 2004) was an American aerospace engineer, test pilot, United States Air Force pilot, and the youngest of the seven original astronauts in Project Mercury, the first human spac ...

, USAF: one of the original seven American astronauts, pilot of ''

Faith 7 Mercury-Atlas 9 was the final crewed space mission of the U.S. Mercury program, launched on May 15, 1963, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14, Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The ...

'' and commander of ''

Gemini 5 Gemini 5 (officially Gemini V) With Gemini IV, NASA changed to Roman numerals for Gemini mission designations. was a 1965 crewed spaceflight in NASA's Project Gemini. It was the third crewed Gemini flight, the eleventh crewed American spacefligh ...

''. * Colonel

Guy Gardner Guy Gardner may refer to: * Guy Gardner (astronaut) (born 1948), United States Air Force officer and former astronaut * Guy Gardner (character) Guy Gardner, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic ...

: 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 Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) was the first crewed American orbital spaceflight, which took place on February 20, 1962. Piloted by astronaut John Glenn and operated by NASA as part of Project Mercury, it was the fifth human spaceflight, preceded by Sov ...

'' and United States Senator. * Colonel

David Scott David Randolph Scott (born June 6, 1932) is an American retired test pilot and NASA astronaut who was the seventh person to walk on the Moon. Selected as part of the third group of astronauts in 1963, Scott flew to space three times and c ...

, USAF: flew on ''

Gemini 8 Gemini 8 (officially Gemini VIII) With Gemini IV, NASA changed to Roman numerals for Gemini mission designations. was the sixth crewed spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. It was launched on March 16, 1966, and was the 14th crewed American flig ...

'', ''

'' 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 Eugene Andrew Cernan (; March 14, 1934 – January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. During the Apollo 17 mission, Cernan became the eleventh human being to ...

, 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 ''

'' 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 Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. (June 2, 1930 – July 8, 1999) was an American NASA astronaut, aeronautical engineer, naval officer and aviator, and test pilot, and commanded the Apollo 12 space mission, on which he became the third person to ...

, 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 Robert Laurel Crippen (born September 11, 1937) is an American retired naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aerospace engineer, and retired astronaut. He traveled into space four times: as Pilot of STS-1 in April 1981, the first Space Shuttl ...

, 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 The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...

. * Captain

Jim Lovell James Arthur Lovell Jr. (; born March 25, 1928) is an American retired astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot and mechanical engineer. In 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, he became, with Frank Borman and William Anders, one of th ...

, 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 Gemini 12 (officially Gemini XII) With Gemini IV, NASA changed to Roman numerals for Gemini mission designations. was a 1966 crewed spaceflight in NASA's Project Gemini. It was the 10th and final crewed Gemini flight ( Gemini 1 and Gemini 2 wer ...

'', 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 Walter Marty Schirra Jr. (, March 12, 1923 – May 3, 2007) was an American naval aviator, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. In 1959, he became one of the original seven astronauts chosen for Project Mercury, which was the United States' f ...

, USN: one of the original seven American astronauts flew on '' Sigma 7'', ''

Gemini 6A Gemini 6A (officially Gemini VI-A) With Gemini IV, NASA changed to Roman numerals for Gemini mission designations. was a 1965 crewed United States spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. The mission, flown by Wally Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford ...

'' 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 John Young may refer to: Academics * John Young (professor of Greek) (died 1820), Scottish professor of Greek at the University of Glasgow * John C. Young (college president) (1803–1857), American educator, pastor, and president of Centre Col ...

, USN: flew on ''

'' 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:

pilot. Awarded with

Valor Device Valor, valour, or valorous may mean: * Courage, a similar meaning * Virtue ethics, roughly "courage in defense of a noble cause" Entertainment * Valor (band), a Christian gospel music group * Valor Kand, a member of the band Christian Death * ' ...

. * Lieutenant Colonel

Gus Grissom Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom (April 3, 1926 – January 27, 1967) was an American engineer, pilot in the United States Air Force, and member of the Mercury Seven selected by National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) as Project Mercur ...

, USAF: one of the original seven American astronauts, second American in space on ''

Liberty Bell 7 Mercury-Redstone 4 was the second United States human spaceflight, on July 21, 1961. The suborbital Project Mercury flight was launched with a Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle, MRLV-8. The spacecraft, Mercury capsule #11, was nicknamed the ''Lib ...

''. * Commander

Scott Carpenter Malcolm Scott Carpenter (May 1, 1925 – October 10, 2013) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, astronaut, and aquanaut. He was one of the Mercury Seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury ...

, USN: one of the original seven American astronauts, flew on ''

Aurora 7 Mercury-Atlas 7, launched May 24, 1962, was the fourth crewed flight of Project Mercury. The spacecraft, named ''Aurora 7'', was piloted by astronaut Scott Carpenter. He was the sixth human to fly in space. The mission used Mercury spacecraft No ...

'', 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 Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton (March 1, 1924 – June 13, 1993) was a United States Air Force pilot, aeronautical engineer, and test pilot who was selected as one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts. He went on to become NASA's first ...

, USAF: one of the original seven American astronauts, NASA chief astronaut and docking module pilot for the

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 The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

. * Major General Patrick J. Hurley, USAR: Secretary of War. * Rear Admiral

Jeremiah Denton Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. (July 15, 1924 – March 28, 2014) was an American politician and military officer who served as a U.S. Senator representing Alabama from 1981 to 1987. He was the first Republican to be popularly elected to a Sena ...

, USN: US Senator. * Brigadier General

Joe Foss Joseph Jacob Foss (April 17, 1915January 1, 2003) was a United States Marine Corps major and a leading Marine fighter ace in World War II. He received the Medal of Honor in recognition of his role in air combat during the Guadalcanal Campaign. In ...

, ANG: Medal of Honor recipient and Governor of South Dakota. * Colonel

Bruce Sundlun Bruce George Sundlun (January 19, 1920 – July 21, 2011) was an American businessman, politician and member of the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Party who served as List of governors of Rhode Island, 71st governor of Rhode Island ...

, USAFR:

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, o ...

. * 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 Alexander Porter Butterfield (born April 6, 1926) is a retired United States Air Force officer, public servant, and businessman. He served as the deputy assistant to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973. He revealed the White House taping s ...

, USAF: aide to President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

. * Captain John S. McCain, III, 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 Bruce Reynolds Alger (June 12, 1918 – April 13, 2015) was an American politician, real estate agent and developer, and a Republican U.S. representative from Texas, the first to have represented a Dallas district since Reconstruction. He served ...

, 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 William Dodd Hathaway (February 21, 1924June 24, 2013) was an American politician and lawyer from Maine. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator for Maine from 1973 to 1979, as the U.S. representative for Maine's ...

, 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 Theodore Fulton Stevens Sr. (November 18, 1923 – August 9, 2010) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Senator from Alaska from 1968 to 2009. He was the longest-serving Republican Senator in history at the time he left o ...

, 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 John Daniel Ehrlichman (; March 20, 1925 – February 14, 1999) was an American political aide who served as the White House Counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon. Ehrlichman was an important ...

, USAAF: aide to President

. * 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 The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official res ...

Civilians

Glenn 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 ...

: aircraft designer. Posthumously awarded in 1933. *

: legendary aviatrix. First woman to receive the DFC by an act of Congress in 1932. *

Eugene Burton 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 ...

: 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. *

: 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 Wing Commander Robert Roland Stanford Tuck, (1 July 1916 – 5 May 1987) was a British fighter pilot, flying ace and test pilot. Tuck joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1935 and first engaged in combat during the Battle of France, over Dunkirk ...

, 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 Dieudonné Costes (14 November 1892 – 18 May 1973) was a French aviator who set flight distance records. He was also a fighter ace during World War I. Early life and military service Costes was born in Septfonds, Tarn-et-Garonne. He receiv ...

: French Army: completed around the world flight. * Lieutenant Commander Joseph Le Brix: 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 The Republic of China Air Force, retroactively known by its historical name the Chinese Air Force and unofficially referred to as the Taiwanese Air Force, is the military aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces, currently based i ...

: Chinese-American fighter ace. * Captain

Hermann Köhl Hermann Köhl (15 April 1888 – 7 October 1938) was a German aviation pioneer and pilot of the first transatlantic flight by a fixed-wing aircraft from east to west. Biography Köhl was born in Neu-Ulm, Bavaria, as one of eight children. At the ...

: 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, 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 (film), 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 List of Disney theatrical animated features, Disney animated movies. * Captain Don Herbert, USAAF: World War II B-24 pilot. Creator and host of the ''Watch Mr. Wizard'' and ''Mr. Wizard's World'' television programs. * Captain Gene Roddenberry, USAAF: Creator of the ''Star Trek'' television series and franchise. * Captain Dan Rowan, USAAF: P-40 Warhawk pilot and star of ''Laugh In''. * Captain Cal Worthington, USAAF: Legendary car salesman. * First Lieutenant Jack Valente, USAAF: Longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America. * Corporal Sabu Dastagir, USAAF: Indian-American actor who served as a B-24 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, USAF: commander of the US Army Air Forces during World War II. * General Samuel E. Anderson, USAF: commander of the 5th Air Force during the Korean War. * General Jimmy Doolittle, USAF: leader of the Doolittle Raid. * General Leon W. Johnson, USAF: leader in the Operation Tidal Wave, Ploesti Raid and commander of the Continental Air Command. * General George S. Brown, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General

, USAF: commander of the 8th Air Force during World War II. * General Charles A. Gabriel, USAF: Chief of Staff or the U.S. Air Force, recipient of five DFCs. * General Daniel James Jr., USAF: first African-American US Air Force four-star general. * General David C. Jones, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General George C. Kenney, USAF: first commander of Strategic Air Command. * General Curtis Lemay, USAF: Air Force Chief of Staff and vice presidential candidate. * General Seth J. McKee, USAF: NORAD commander and D-Day veteran. * General John C. Meyer, USAF: commander of Strategic Air Command. Seven DFCs * General Richard B. Myers, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General Joseph W. Ralston, USAF: Supreme Allied Commander for NATO. * General Carl Spaatz, USAF: first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. * General Nathan F. Twining, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews, USAAF: died in accident in 1943. * Lieutenant General Royal N. Baker, USAF: flew combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. * Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton, USAF: commander of the Ninth Air Force during World War II. * Lieutenant General George Brett (general), George H. Brett, USAF: commander of the Caribbean Defense Command in World War II. * Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault, USAF: commander of the Flying Tigers. * Lieutenant General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., USAF: first African-American US Air Force general. * Lieutenant General Robert E. Kelley, USAF: Vietnam War combat pilot and USAFA Superintendent. * Lieutenant General Elwood Richard Quesada, USAF: first commander of Tactical Air Command. * Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer, USAF: commander of Far East Air Forces during the Korean War. * Major General Orvil A. Anderson, USAF: participant in altitude record setting Air Corps Stratospheric Balloon Flights in Explorer I and Explorer II in 1934 and 1935. * Major General David M. Jones, USAF: Doolittle Raider and recipient of two DFCs. * Major General Uzal Girard Ent, USAAF: leader of the Operation Tidal Wave, Ploesti Raid. * Major General Caleb V. Haynes, USAF: bomber commander of the China Air Task Force. * Major General Frank O'Driscoll Hunter, USAAF * Major General Robert Olds, USAAF: father of ace Robin Olds. * Major General Robert A. Rushworth, USAF:

pilot. * Major General Clarence A. Shoop, USAAF: WWII observation pilot * Major General Mele "Mel" Vojvodich, USAF: pilot for the CIA in Vietnam, three DFCs. * Brigadier General Frederick Walker Castle, USAAF: four DFCs. * Brigadier General Gerald Goodfellow, USAF: B1-Lancer offensive systems officer, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for action during Operation Allied Force. * Brigadier General Charles A. Lindbergh, USAFR: first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. * Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF: combat pilot in World War II and Vietnam War and recipient of six DFCs. * Brigadier General Richard Stephen Ritchie, USAF: only US Air Force ace of the Vietnam War, with five kills. * Brigadier General Elliott Roosevelt (general), Elliott Roosevelt, USAAF: son of President Franklin Roosevelt. * Brigadier General Robert Lee Scott Jr., USAF: fighter pilot who earned three DFCs. * Brigadier General Dale E. Stovall, USAF: Vietnam War Combat search and rescue, CSAR pilot who rescued Roger Locher, deepest rescue inside North Vietnam. * Brigadier General Kenneth M. Taylor, 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''. * Colonel Bernt Balchen, USAF: pilot of first plane to fly over the South Pole. * Colonel Kim Campbell (pilot), Kim Campbell, USAF: for successfully completing her mission supporting ground troops over Baghdad in April 2003 and successfully landing her Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, A-10 back at base despite sustaining severe damage to her aircraft. * Colonel

, 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 Bud Day, George Day, USAF: POW during the Vietnam War. * Colonel Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen, USAF: Vietnam War F-105 pilot. * Colonel Bernard F. Fisher, USAF: Vietnam War A-1 Skyraider pilot. * Colonel James P. Fleming, USAF: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Colonel Joe M. Jackson, USAF: combat veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. * Colonel John R. Kane, USAF: leader in the Operation Tidal Wave, Ploesti Raid. * Colonel Gabby Gabreski, USAF: highest scoring American ace in the European Theater with 34 kills. Recipient of 13 DFCs. * Colonel Jose L. Holguin, USAF: Silver Star recipient and POW during World War II. * Colonel James K. Johnson, USAF: Korean war ace with 11 kills. Recipient of three DFCs. * Colonel Charles H. MacDonald, USAF: recipient of six DFCs. * Colonel Ashley Chadbourne McKinley, USAF: Photographer on first flight over the South Pole. * Colonel Russell Maughan, USAAF: completed first "dawn to dusk" transcontinental flight. * Colonel David C. Schilling, USAF: recipient of 11 DFCs. * Colonel Lowell Smith, USAAF: conducted first aerial refueling and commanded first aerial circumnavigation of the globe. * Colonel Robert E. Thacker, USAF: pilot of record-breaking flight from Honolulu to New York and recipient of three DFCs. * Colonel Leo K. Thorsness, USAF: Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam War veteran. * Lieutenant Colonel Lee Archer (pilot), Lee Archer, USAF: first African-American fighter ace. * Lieutenant Colonel Leaford Bearskin, USAF: veteran of World War II and Korea and also Chief of the Wyandotte Nation. * Lieutenant Colonel Everett Ernest Blakely 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, USAF: high-scoring Korean War ace. * Lieutenant Colonel Bill Harris (aviator) USAF: WW2 Triple ace fighter pilot. * Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. Novosel, USAFR: Vietnam War helicopter pilot, Medal of Honor recipient, three DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel Robert S. Johnson, USAFR: recipient of nine DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel Arthur W. Murray, USAF: early jet test pilot. * Lieutenant Colonel Dick Rutan, USAF: piloted first unrefueled non-stop around the world flight. Recipient of five DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel Albert William Stevens, USAAF: participant in both the Explorer I and Explorer II stratospheric balloon flights. * Lieutenant Colonel Boyd Wagner, USAAC: first Army Air Corps ace of World War II. * Lieutenant Colonel Ray Shuey Wetmore, USAAF: 21 aerial victories during World War II. Received six DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel Gerald O. Young, USAF: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Lieutenant Colonel Jay Zeamer Jr., USAF: World War II Medal of Honor recipient. * Lieutenant Colonel Dan "Two Dogs" Hampton, USAF: received four DFC's as a "Wild Weasel" surface-to-air missile killer. * Major Richard Bong, USAAF: highest-scoring American ace of World War II. * Major Horace S. Carswell Jr., USAAF: World War II bomber pilot. * Major George Andrew Davis Jr., USAF: Ace in both World War II and the Korean War. Four DFCs. * Major Charles J. Loring Jr., USAF: World War II POW and Korean War F-80 Shooting Star pilot. * Major Thomas McGuire, USAAF: second highest-scoring American ace in World War II with 38 kills. Six DFCs. * Major John Trevor Godfrey, USAAF: shot down 18 German aircraft. * Major Louis J. Sebille, USAF: Korean War North American P-51 Mustang, F-51 Mustang pilot, two DFCs. * Major Joe Thompson (WW II pilot), Joseph Thompson Jr., USAAF: Aerial reconnaissance pilot with 90 missions, most behind enemy lines. * Major MJ Hegar, USAF: Second female recipient during combat search and rescue mission in Afghanistan. * Major George Welch (pilot), 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, USAAF: business executive and figure in the Watergate scandal, recipient of two DFCs. * Captain Joseph Elsberry, 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, 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 Mantell UFO incident, Thomas Mantell, KYANG: died in pursuit of a Unidentified flying object, UFO. * Captain Francis Gary Powers, USAF: captured by Soviets when his Lockheed U-2, U-2 spy plane was shot down in 1960. * Captain Edward L. Toppins, member of the famed Red Tails/Tuskegee Airmen with 4 confirmed aerial kills. * Captain John S. Walmsley Jr., USAF: Korean War Douglas A-26 Invader, B-26 pilot. * Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks, USAF: Vietnam War Cessna O-1 Bird Dog, O-1 pilot and Medal of Honor recipient. * Captain Louis Zamperini, USAAF: POW during World War II. Inspiration for the movie Unbroken (film), ''Unbroken''. * First Lieutenant

, 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, USAAF: World War II P-47 pilot. * First Lieutenant Aleda E. Lutz, 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, USAAF: died during Operation Tidal Wave. * 2nd Lieutenant Dean Smith (American pioneer pilot), Dean Cullom Smith, USAACR: pilot for Admiral Byrd's 1928 to 1930 Antarctic Expedition. * Chief Master Sergeant Duane D. Hackney, USAF: recipient of four DFCs. * Technical Sergeant Ben Kuroki, USAAF: Japanese-American veteran of 58 combat missions.

United States Marine Corps

* General Earl E. Anderson, USMC: Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. * General Keith B. McCutcheon, USMC * General Christian F. Schilt, USMC: director of Marine Corps Aviation. * Lieutenant General Frank E. Petersen, USMC: first African-American Marine Corps general. * Lieutenant General William G. Thrash, USMC * Major General John P. Condon, USMC * Major General Marion Eugene Carl, USMC: first Marine Corps ace. Recipient of five DFCs. * Major General Ross E. Rowell, Ross "Rusty" Rowell, USMC: 1927 Nicaragua, carried out the first coordinated dive-bombing attacks in aviation history. * Brigadier General

: Medal of Honor recipient, second highest scoring Marine Corps ace of World War II and Governor of South Dakota. * Brigadier General Robert E. Galer, USMC: commanded VMF-224 on Guadalcanal. * Colonel Kenneth L. Reusser, USMC: recipient of two DFCs. Had 253 combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. * Colonel Archie Van Winkle, USMC: World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran. * Colonel Jefferson J. DeBlanc, USMC: shot down five planes in a single day. * Colonel John Lucian Smith, USMC: leader of the Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal. * Colonel James E. Swett, USMC: shot down 5 planes on his first combat mission and recipient of eight DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel John F. Bolt, USMC: Only Marine jet fighter ace. Only Naval Aviator to achieve ace status in two wars (WWII and Korea.) * Major William H. May, USMC: FAA Pioneer, recipient of seven DFCs. * Major Robert Claude Maze, USMC * Major Stephen W. Pless, USMC * Captain Donald N. Aldrich, USMC: 20 kills. * Captain Cecil Alexander (architect), Cecil A. Alexander Jr., USMCR: modern architect. Recipient of two DFCs during World War II. * Captain William Allen Northcutt, 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, USMC: member of the Black Sheep Squadron with 25 kills.

United States Navy

* Admiral Stan Arthur, USN: Vice Chief of Naval Operations and recipient of 11 DFCs. * Admiral Thomas B. Hayward, USN: Chief of Naval Operations. * Admiral James L. Holloway III, USN: Chief of Naval Operations. * Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, 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., USN: president of the United States Naval War College and superintendent of the United States Naval Academy. * Vice Admiral John T. Hayward, USN: president of the United States Naval War College. * Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernández, USN: vice commander of NORAD. * Vice Admiral Edward H. Martin, USN: POW for over five years. * Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, POW in Vietnam, president of the United States Naval War College and vice presidential candidate. * Rear Admiral

, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, organized and led first flights over the north and south poles. * Rear Admiral

, USN: Navy Cross recipient, POW in Vietnam for seven and a half years. * Rear Admiral Wade McClusky, USN: hero of the Battle of Midway. * Captain Michael J. Estocin, 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, USN: ace fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, awarded two DFCs. * Commander Everett Alvarez Jr., USN: POW in Vietnam for eight years and seven months. * Commander Stephen Coonts, USNR: Vietnam War veteran, lawyer and author. * Commander Eugene A. Valencia Jr., USNR: 23 aerial victories in World War II, awarded five DFCs. * Lieutenant Commander Ira C. Kepford, USNR: 16 aerial victories in World War II. * Lieutenant Commander Edward O'Hare, 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, USNR: flew on second non-stop trans-Atlantic flight with

. * 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, USN: co-pilot of first flight over the South Pole. * Lieutenant Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., USNR: Navy Cross recipient and brother of President John F. Kennedy. * Lieutenant Dieter Dengler, USN: Navy Cross recipient. * Ensign Jesse L. Brown, USNR: first African-American naval aviator.

United States Coast Guard

* Vice Admiral John Currier USCG

United States Army

* General of the Army Douglas MacArthur: 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 187th Infantry Regiment (United States)#Airborne assault, 20 October 1950, Sukchon-Sunchon airborne operation north of Pyongyang. * General Alexander Haig, USA: Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe and Secretary of State. * General Wayne A. Downing, 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., USA: commander of VII Corps (United States), VII Corps during Operation Desert Storm. * General John Galvin (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. * General Gary E. Luck, USA: commander, United States Forces Korea. * General Edward C. Meyer, 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., USA: first African-American US Army four star general. * General Bernard W. Rogers, 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, USA: son of General Walton Walker and superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute. * General Walton Walker, USA: commander of the Eighth United States Army, 8th Army in Korea and recipient of two DFCs. * General Melvin Zais, USA: commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. * Lieutenant General Edward Almond, USA: commanded X Corps (United States), X Corps during the Korean War. * Lieutenant General Hobart R. Gay, USA: commanded the 1st Cavalry Division (United States), 1st Cavalry Division in the Korean War. * Lieutenant General David E. Grange, USA: combat veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam and commander of the Sixth United States Army. * Lieutenant General James F. Hollingsworth, USA: combat veteran of World War II and Vietnam. Recipient of three DFCs. * Lieutenant General Thomas Tackaberry, USA: combat veteran of Korea and Vietnam and commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps. * Major General Patrick Henry Brady, USA: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Major General George Patton IV, USA: Son of General George S. Patton. * Colonel Bruce P. Crandall, USA: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Colonel David Hackworth, USA: highly decorated Army officer, commentator and author. * Lieutenant Colonel Bo Gritz, USA: highly decorated Special Forces officer in Vietnam. * Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann, USA: military advisor in Vietnam. * Major Lauri Törni, USA: Veteran of the Finnish Army, Waffen SS during World War II and U.S. Army Special Forces in Vietnam. * Chief Warrant Officer Richard McCoy Jr., USA: Vietnam veteran and aircraft hijacker. * Command Sergeant Major Silas L. Copeland, 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