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 recip ...

, 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 d ...

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 on ...

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, 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, ...

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 in

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, 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 ...

, 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 spee ...

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 (in ...

'' 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 (United States), colonel, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, businessman, and NASA astronaut. He was the commander of Apollo 8, the first missio ...

, 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 spa ...

, 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 Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft, named ''Faith 7'', completed 22 Earth orbits before splashing down in ...

'' 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, 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 Sovi ...

'' 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 fli ...

'', ''

'' 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 t ...

, USN: pilot of '' Gemini 9A'', 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 spacefl ...

'', 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. Staffor ...

'' 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 Sen ...

, 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 Democratic Party who served as 71st governor of Rhode Island between 1991 and 1995. He was Rhode Island's second Jewish gove ...

, 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, 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 tapin ...

, 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, 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 serv ...

, 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 ...

, 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 ...

: 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:

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: 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 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 Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager ( , February 13, 1923December 7, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in October 1947 became the first pilot in history confirmed to have exceeded the ...

, USAF: test pilot and first human to break the sound barrier. * Lieutenant Colonel

Jerry Coleman Gerald Francis Coleman (September 14, 1924 – January 5, 2014) was a Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman for the New York Yankees and manager of the San Diego Padres for one year. Coleman was named the rookie of the year in 1949 by Ass ...

, USMC: World War II and Korean War pilot. Second baseman for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

and long-time broadcaster for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

. * Major

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

, USAAF: Star of ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

'' who flew on five bombing missions during World War II. * Major

Wolfgang Reitherman Wolfgang Reitherman (June 26, 1909 – May 22, 1985), also known and sometimes credited as Woolie Reitherman, was a German–American animator, director and producer and one of the "Disney's Nine Old Men, Nine Old Men" of core animators at Walt ...

, USAAF: World War pilot. Animator, director and producer for Disney animated movies. * Captain

Don Herbert Donald Jeffry Herbert (July 10, 1917 – June 12, 2007), better known as Mr. Wizard, was the creator and host of ''Watch Mr. Wizard'' (1951–65, 1971–72) and ''Mr. Wizard's World'' (1983–90), which were educational television programs for c ...

, 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 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 Daniel Hale Rowan (July 22, 1922 – September 22, 1987) was an American actor and comedian. He was featured in the television show ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'', wherein he played straight man to Dick Martin and won the 1969 Emmy for Outstandi ...

, USAAF:

P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...

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 Calvin Coolidge Worthington (November 27, 1920 – September 8, 2013) was an American car dealer, best known on the West Coast of the United States, and to a more limited extent elsewhere, from minor appearances and parodies in a number of movi ...

, USAAF: Legendary car salesman. * First Lieutenant Jack Valente, USAAF: Longtime president of the

Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distrib ...

. * 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 during the Korean War. * General

Jimmy Doolittle James Harold Doolittle (December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993) was an American military general and aviation pioneer who received the Medal of Honor for his daring raid on Japan during World War II. He also made early coast-to-coast flights ...

, USAF: leader of the

Doolittle Raid The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first American air operation to strike the Japan ...

. * General Leon W. Johnson, USAF: leader in the Ploesti Raid and commander of the

Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary au ...

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

, USAF: commander of the

8th Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces ...

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. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. (February 11, 1920 – February 25, 1978) was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force who, in 1975, became the first African American to reach the rank of four-star general in the United States Armed Forces. Thre ...

, 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 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 Curtis Emerson LeMay (November 15, 1906 – October 1, 1990) was an American Air Force general who implemented a controversial strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific theater of World War II. He later served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air ...

, USAF: Air Force Chief of Staff and vice presidential candidate. * General Seth J. McKee, 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, 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 Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews (February 3, 1884 – May 3, 1943) was a senior officer of the United States Army and one of the founders of the United States Army Air Forces, which was later to become the United States Air Force. ...

, 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 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 The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

during World War II. * Lieutenant General George H. Brett, USAF: commander of the Caribbean Defense Command in World War II. * Lieutenant General

Claire Lee Chennault Claire Lee Chennault (September 6, 1893 – July 27, 1958) was an American military aviator best known for his leadership of the "Flying Tigers" and the Chinese Air Force in World War II. Chennault was a fierce advocate of "pursuit" or fighte ...

, USAF: commander of the

Flying Tigers The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States Ar ...

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

Elwood Richard Quesada Elwood Richard Quesada, CB, CBE (April 13, 1904 – February 9, 1993), nicknamed "Pete", was a United States Air Force Lt. General, FAA administrator, and, later, a club owner in Major League Baseball. Early years Elwood Richard Quesada was bo ...

, 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 Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...

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 ''Explorer II'' was a manned U.S. high-altitude balloon that was launched on November 11, 1935, and reached a record altitude of . Launched at 8:00 am from the Stratobowl in South Dakota, the helium balloon carried a two-man crew consisting of ...

in 1934 and 1935. * Major General

David M. Jones David M. Jones (December 18, 1913 – November 25, 2008) served with distinction as a pilot and general officer, first with the U.S. Army Air Corps (he entered pilot training in June 1937) and later with the United States Air Force (created on ...

, USAF:

er 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 The China Air Task Force (CATF) was a combat organization of the United States Army Air Forces created in July 1942 under the command of Brig. Gen. Claire Chennault, after the Flying Tigers of the 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air F ...

. * Major General Frank O'Driscoll Hunter, USAAF * Major General

Robert Olds Robert Olds (June 15, 1896 – April 28, 1943) was a general officer in the United States Army Air Forces, theorist of strategic air power, and proponent of an independent United States Air Force. Olds is best known today as the father of Brig. ...

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

pilot. * Major General

Clarence A. Shoop Clarence Adelbert Shoop (May 10, 1907 – January 27, 1968) was a long serving pilot in the California Air National Guard, an American test pilot, and a mustang who eventually rose to rank of Major General and post-war Commander of the Californi ...

, USAAF: WWII observation pilot * Major General Mele "Mel" Vojvodich, USAF: pilot for the CIA in Vietnam, three DFCs. * Brigadier General

Frederick Walker Castle Frederick Walker Castle (October 14, 1908–December 24, 1944) was a general officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was List of U.S. general officers and flag officers killed in Wor ...

, 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 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...

. * 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 Robin Olds (July 14, 1922 – June 14, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the United States Air Force (USAF). He was a " triple ace", with a combined total of 17 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. ...

, 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 ...

, 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., USAF: fighter pilot who earned three DFCs. * Brigadier General Dale E. Stovall, USAF: Vietnam War CSAR pilot who rescued Roger Locher, deepest rescue inside North Vietnam. * Brigadier General

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 pilot stationed at Wheeler Field during the Japan ...

, USAF: one of the few American fighter pilots to get airborne during the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

. * Brigadier General

Paul Tibbets Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. (23 February 1915 – 1 November 2007) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. He is best known as the aircraft captain who flew the B-29 Superfortress known as the ''Enola Gay'' (named after his moth ...

, USAF: pilot of the '' Enola Gay''. * Colonel Bernt Balchen, USAF: pilot of first plane to fly over the

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...

. * Colonel

Kim Campbell Avril Phaedra Douglas "Kim" Campbell (born March 10, 1947) is a Canadian politician, diplomat, lawyer, and writer who served as the 19th prime minister of Canada from June 25 to November 4, 1993. Campbell is the first and so far only female ...

, USAF: for successfully completing her mission supporting ground troops over Baghdad in April 2003 and successfully landing her

A-10 The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republi ...

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 The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots or Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots) was a civilian women pilots' organization, whose members were United States federal civil service employees. Members of WASP became t ...

(WASPs) during World War II. * Colonel George Day, USAF: POW during the Vietnam War. * Colonel Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen, 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, 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 Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski (born Franciszek Stanisław Gabryszewski; January 28, 1919 – January 31, 2002) was a Polish-American career pilot in the United States Air Force who retired as a colonel after 26 years of military service. He wa ...

, USAF: highest scoring American ace in the European Theater with 34 kills. Recipient of 13 DFCs. * Colonel

Jose L. Holguin Jose L. Holguin (February 1, 1921 – March 22, 1994) was a United States Air Force colonel, who was the navigator and sole survivor of a World War II mission that ended with a crash on June 26, 1943, in the jungles of New Britain, now Papua New G ...

, 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 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, 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 David Carl Schilling (December 15, 1918 – August 14, 1956) was a U.S. Air Force officer, fighter ace credited with 22½ confirmed claims, and leading advocate of long-range jet fighter operations. Kansas' Schilling Air Force Base was named in hi ...

, 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, USAF: pilot of record-breaking flight from Honolulu to New York and recipient of three DFCs. * Colonel Leo K. Thorsness, USAF: Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam War veteran. * Lieutenant Colonel Lee Archer, USAF: first African-American fighter ace. * Lieutenant Colonel Leaford Bearskin, USAF: veteran of World War II and Korea and also Chief of the

Wyandotte Nation The Wyandotte Nation is a Federally recognized tribes, federally recognized Native American tribe in northeastern Oklahoma. They are descendants of the Wyandot people, Wendat Confederacy and Native Americans with territory near Georgian Bay and ...

. * 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 Louis Edward "Lou" Curdes (2 November 1919 – 5 February 1995) was an American flying ace of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II who held the unusual distinction of scoring an official air-to-air kill against another American ...

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) Bill Harris (June 15, 1916 – May 23, 2012) was a United States Army Air Force fighter ace who was credited with shooting down 16 aircraft during World War II. Life William "Bill" Harris was born on June 15, 1916 in Strathmore, California to ...

USAF: WW2 Triple ace fighter pilot. * Lieutenant Colonel

Michael J. Novosel Michael J. Novosel Sr. (September 3, 1922 – April 2, 2006) of Enterprise, Alabama served in the United States military during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He flew the B-29 Superfortress bomber in World War II. In order to s ...

, 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 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 Richard Glenn Rutan (born July 1, 1938) is a retired United States Air Force officer and fighter pilot, test pilot, and record-breaking aviator who in 1986 piloted the Voyager aircraft on the first non-stop, non-refueled around-the-world flight w ...

, 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 Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States in 1958 and was part of the U.S. participation in the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The mission followed the first two satellites the previous year; the Soviet Union ...

and

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, USAAF: 21 aerial victories during World War II. Received six DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel

Gerald O. Young Gerald Orren Young (May 19, 1930 – June 6, 1990) was a United States Air Force officer and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. Biography Gerald Young was born on May ...

, 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 South Pacific during World War II, who received the Medal of Honor for valor during a B-17 Flying Fortress mission on June 16, 1943. ...

, 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 Richard "Dick" Ira Bong (September 24, 1920 – August 6, 1945) was a United States Army Air Forces major and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. He was one of the most decorated American fighter pilots and the country's top flying ace ...

, 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., 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

. * 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

. * 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

. * 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