The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is a

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

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

History

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

The first award of the Distinguished Flying Cross was made by President Calvin Coolidge on May 2, 1927, to ten aviators of the U.S. Army Air Corps who had participated in the Army Pan American Flight which took place from December 21, 1926, to May 2, 1927. Two of the airmen died in a mid-air collision trying to land at Buenos Aires on February 26, 1927, and received their awards posthumously. The award had only been authorized by Congress the previous year and no medals had yet been struck, so the Pan American airmen initially received only certificates. Among the ten airmen were Major Herbert Dargue, Captains Ira C. Eaker and Muir S. Fairchild, and First Lieutenant Ennis C. Whitehead. Charles Lindbergh received the first presentation of the actual medal about a month later from Coolidge during the Washington, D.C., homecoming reception on June 11, 1927, from his trans-Atlantic flight. The medal had hurriedly been struck and readied just for that occasion. The 1927 War Department General Order (G.O. 8) authorizing Lindbergh's DFC states that it was awarded by the president, while the General Order (G.O. 6) for the Pan American Flyers' DFC citation notes that the War Department awarded it "by direction of the President." The first Distinguished Flying Cross to be awarded to a Naval aviator was received by Commander Richard E. Byrd, USN for his trans-Atlantic flight from June 29 to July 1, 1927, from New York City to the coast of France. Byrd and his pilot Machinist Floyd Bennett had already received the Medal of Honor for their historic flight to the North Pole on May 9, 1926. Numerous recipients of the medal earned greater fame in other occupations; a number of astronauts, actors, and politicians have been Distinguished Flying Cross recipients, including President

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

. The DFC may be retroactively awarded to recognize notable accomplishments made at any time after the beginning of American participation in World War I. On February 23, 1929, Congress passed special legislation to allow the award of the DFC to the Wright brothers for their December 17, 1903, flight. Other civilians who have received the award include

Wiley Post 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 o ...

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, Gilmore the L ...

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; Presumption of death, declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first women in aviation, female aviator to fly solo acro ...

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 ...

. 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 Senat ...

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 pre ...

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 ri ...

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 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 co ...

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 achievemen ...

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 was ...

. 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. ...

, 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 ...

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' ...

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 and ...

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 (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

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, an ...

'', 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, 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, a ...

'' 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 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, United States naval aviator, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. In 1961, he became the second person and the first American to travel int ...

, 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 ast ...

'', 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 fu ...

''. * 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 ...

, 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 ...

, 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. The ...

''. * 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 th ...

'' 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: 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 co ...

, 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 land on the Moon. It was the first J mission, with a longer stay on the Moon and a greater focus on science than ea ...

''. * 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 ...

, 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''. 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 Charle ...

'' 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 elect ...

, 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 design, modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos ( ...

. * 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 af ...

''. * 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' fi ...

, 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''. * 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 Coll ...

, USN: flew on ''

'' and '' Apollo 16'', 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 miss ...

, 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 Valor Kand is a singer, guitarist and so ...

. * 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 Merc ...

, 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 '' ...

''. * 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 ...

'', 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 S ...

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 fir ...

, 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 Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

. * 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. I ...

, 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 gover ...

, USAFR:

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Democrat Dan McKee. In their capac ...

. * 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 t ...

. * 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, w ...

, 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 2 ...

, 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, 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 ri ...

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 re ...

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 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 Regio Esercito, Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the mon ...

: 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 receive ...

: 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,

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 ...

: 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, t ...

: 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 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 New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

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 "Nine Old Men" of core animators at Walt Disney Productions. He ...

, 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 ...

, USAAF: World War II B-24 pilot. Creator and host of the ''

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

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

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

, 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 vario ...

'' 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 an ...

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 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 Distri ...

. * 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 d ...

tail gunner during World War II.

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

* General of the Air Force

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

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

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

, USAF: commander of the

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

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 Ira C. Eaker, 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 a ...

, USAF: Chief of Staff or the U.S. Air Force, recipient of five DFCs. * General Daniel James Jr., USAF: first African-American US Air Force four-star general. * General

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

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

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

, 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 c ...

. * 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 F ...

, 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 veteran. * General

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

, USAF: commander of Strategic Air Command. Seven DFCs * General Richard B. Myers, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General

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

, USAF: Supreme Allied Commander for NATO. * General

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

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

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

, 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 Fo ...

, USAAF: died in accident in 1943. * Lieutenant General

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

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

, 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 ...

. * 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 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 born ...

, 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, 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 (f ...

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

, USAF:

er and recipient of two DFCs. * Major General Uzal Girard Ent, USAAF: leader of the Ploesti Raid. * Major General Caleb V. Haynes, USAF: bomber commander of the China Air Task Force. * Major General

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

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

, USAF:

pilot. * Major General Clarence A. Shoop, USAAF: WWII observation pilot * Major General

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

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

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

, USAF: B1-Lancer offensive systems officer, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for action during

Operation Allied Force 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. Q ...

, USAF: combat pilot in World War II and Vietnam War and recipient of six DFCs. * Brigadier General

Richard Stephen Ritchie Brigadier General#United States, 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. Ritchi ...

, USAF: only US Air Force ace of the Vietnam War, with five kills. * Brigadier General

Elliott Roosevelt Elliott Roosevelt may refer to: * Elliott Roosevelt (general) (1910–1990), American general * Elliott Roosevelt (socialite) (1860–1894), American socialite {{hndis, Roosevelt, Elliott ...

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

, deepest rescue inside North Vietnam. * Brigadier General

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

, 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 Hawa ...

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

''. * Colonel

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

, 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 Republic ...

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 be ...

, USAF: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Colonel Joe M. Jackson, USAF: combat veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. * Colonel John R. Kane, USAF: leader in the Ploesti Raid. * Colonel

Gabby Gabreski 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 was ...

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

, USAF: recipient of six DFCs. * Colonel

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

, 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 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 Native American tribe in northeastern Oklahoma. They are descendants of the Wendat Confederacy and Native Americans with territory near Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. Under pressure from Haudenosau ...

. * 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, USAFR: Vietnam War helicopter pilot, Medal of Honor recipient, three DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel

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

, USAFR: recipient of nine DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel

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

, USAF: early jet test pilot. * Lieutenant Colonel

Dick Rutan 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 Un ...

, 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's ...

and Explorer II stratospheric balloon flights. * Lieutenant Colonel

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

, 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 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., 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 The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, produ ...

pilot. * Major

Thomas McGuire Thomas Buchanan McGuire Jr. (August 1, 1920 – January 7, 1945) was an American United States Army major who was killed in action while serving as a member of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and posthumously awarded the M ...

, USAAF: second highest-scoring American ace in World War II with 38 kills. Six DFCs. * Major

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

, USAAF: shot down 18 German aircraft. * Major Louis J. Sebille, USAF: Korean War

F-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James H ...

pilot, two DFCs. * Major Joseph Thompson Jr., USAAF: Aerial reconnaissance pilot with 90 missions, most behind enemy lines. * Major

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

, USAF: Second female recipient during combat search and rescue mission in Afghanistan. * Major George Welch, USAAF: one of the few American fighter pilots to get airborne during the

. * 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 The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the United States Army ...

. 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 African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

fighter pilot to do so. * Captain Hawthorne C. Gray, USAAC: died during altitude record breaking balloon ascent in 1927. * Captain

Joseph Kittinger Joseph William Kittinger II (July 27, 1928 – December 9, 2022) served as a United States Air Force (USAF) officer from 1950 to 1978. He was a fighter pilot who earned Command Pilot status and retired as a colonel. He held the world record fo ...

, USAF: seven DFCs, served three tours in Vietnam and holder of the highest free-fall parachute jump record for 52 years. * Captain

Ken Kavanaugh Kenneth William Kavanaugh (November 23, 1916 – January 25, 2007) was an American football player, coach, and scout. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears as an end from 1940 to 1950, except for ...

, USAAF: Professional football player. * Captain Thomas Mantell, KYANG: died in pursuit of a UFO. * Captain

Francis Gary Powers Francis Gary Powers (August 17, 1929 – August 1, 1977) was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Lockheed U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 in ...

, USAF: captured by Soviets when his U-2 spy plane was shot down in 1960. * Captain Edward L. Toppins, member of the famed Red Tails/

with 4 confirmed aerial kills. * Captain John S. Walmsley Jr., USAF: Korean War B-26 pilot. * Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks, USAF: Vietnam War O-1 pilot and Medal of Honor recipient. * Captain

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

, USAAF: POW during World War II. Inspiration for the movie ''Unbroken''. * First Lieutenant

, USAAF: B-17 navigator, presidential aide and figure in the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...

. * First Lieutenant

Bob Hoover Robert Anderson Hoover (January 24, 1922 – October 25, 2016) was an American fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and record-setting air show aviator. Hoover flew Spitfires in the United States Army Air Forces during World Wa ...

, USAAF: POW and record breaking pilot. * First Lieutenant Raymond L. Knight, USAAF: World War II

P-47 The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomber ...

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

. * 2nd Lieutenant

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

, USAACR: pilot for Admiral Byrd's 1928 to 1930 Antarctic Expedition. * Chief Master Sergeant Duane D. Hackney, 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 Keith Barr McCutcheon (August 10, 1915 – July 13, 1971) was a highly decorated Marine Corps four-star general and aviator seeing combat in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and ten ...

, 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 William Gay Thrash (September 17, 1916 – July 4, 2011) was a United States Marine Corps three-star general and highly decorated Naval Aviator. He retired from active duty on June 30, 1972, after more than 30 years of distinguished service. Th ...

, USMC * Major General

John P. Condon John Pomeroy Condon (December 20, 1911 – December 26, 1996) was a highly decorated aviator in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He distinguished himself successively during World War II and Korea and completed his ca ...

, USMC * Major General

Marion Eugene Carl Major General Marion Eugene Carl (November 1, 1915 – June 28, 1998) was an American military officer, World War II fighter ace, record-setting test pilot, and naval aviator. He was the United States Marine Corps' first ace in World War II. Ear ...

, USMC: first Marine Corps ace. Recipient of five DFCs. * Major General Ross "Rusty" Rowell, USMC: 1927 Nicaragua, carried out the first coordinated dive-bombing attacks in aviation history. * Brigadier General

: 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 Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 (VMFA(AW)-224) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Also known as the "Fighting Bengals", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under ...

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

. * Colonel Kenneth L. Reusser, USMC: recipient of two DFCs. Had 253 combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. * Colonel

Archie Van Winkle Colonel Archie Van Winkle (March 17, 1925 – May 22, 1986) was a United States Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as a staff sergeant during the advance to the Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. A combat veteran of World ...

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

, USMC: leader of the Cactus Air Force on

. * 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 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 ''Baa Baa Black Sheep'' (renamed ''Black Sheep Squadron'' for the second season) is an American television series that aired on NBC from September 23, 1976, until April 6, 1978. It was part period military drama, part comedy. In the final seven ...

with 25 kills.

United States Navy

* Admiral

Stan Arthur Admiral Stanley Roger Arthur, USN (born September 27, 1935) was the Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1992 to 1995, culminating more than 37 years as an officer in the United States Navy. Military career Admiral Arthur was born in Jackson, Oh ...

, USN:

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

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

, USN: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * Admiral

Huntington Hardisty Huntington Hardisty (February 3, 1929 – October 1, 2003) was a United States Navy four star admiral who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) from 1987 to 1988; and Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command (USCINCPAC) from 198 ...

, USN: Commander in Chief of

United States Pacific Command United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region. Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its inception in 1947, ...

. * Vice Admiral

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

, USN: president of the

United States Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...

and superintendent of the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

. * Vice Admiral John T. Hayward, USN: president of the

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

, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, POW in Vietnam, president of the

and vice presidential candidate. * Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, organized and led first flights over the north and south poles. * Rear Admiral

, USN: Navy Cross recipient, POW in Vietnam for seven and a half years. * Rear Admiral

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

, USN: hero of the

Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under A ...

. * Captain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

, USNR: Vietnam War veteran, lawyer and author. * Commander Eugene A. Valencia Jr., 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 "Butch" O'Hare, USN: shot down 3 Japanese bombers and damaged two others on a single flight. Two DFCs. * Lieutenant Commander

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

, USNR: flew on second non-stop trans-Atlantic flight with Richard E. Byrd. * Lieutenant Commander

Richard Halsey Best Richard Halsey Best (March 24, 1910 – October 28, 2001) was a dive bomber pilot and squadron commander in the United States Navy during World War II. Stationed on the aircraft carrier , Best led his dive bomber squadron at the 1942 Battle of M ...

, USN : the first pilot to successfully bomb two Japanese carriers, the ''Akagi'' and the ''Hiryu'', in one day * Lieutenant

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

, USN: co-pilot of first flight over the

. * Lieutenant Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., USNR: Navy Cross recipient and brother of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

. * Lieutenant

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

, USN: Navy Cross recipient. * Ensign

Jesse L. Brown Jesse LeRoy Brown (October 13, 1926 – December 4, 1950) was a United States Navy officer. He was the first African-American aviator to complete the United States Navy's basic flight training program (though not the first African-American Navy ...

, 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 South West Pacific Area (SWPA) was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific War. SWPA included the Philippines, Borneo, the ...

(1942–1945) and commander of United Nations forces in Korea (1950–1951). DFC awarded for supervising and observing in person the Sukchon-Sunchon airborne operation north of Pyongyang. * General

Alexander Haig Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. (; December 2, 1924February 20, 2010) was United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Prior to and in between these cab ...

, USA: NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe and Secretary of State. * General

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

, USA: commander of

United States Special Operations Command The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States A ...

. * General

John W. Foss John William Foss (February 13, 1933 – April 25, 2020) was a United States Army general, and commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. Military career Foss was born in Hutchinson, Minnesota on February 13, 1933. ...

, USA: combat veteran of Vietnam and Commander

United States Army Training and Doctrine Command The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is a major command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces and the development of operational doctrine. ...

* General Frederick M. Franks Jr., USA: commander of VII Corps during

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

. * 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 United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a sub-unified command of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK is the joint headquarters for U.S. combat-ready fighting forces and components under the ROK/US Combined Forces Command (CFC) – a su ...

. * General Edward C. Meyer, USA:

Chief of Staff of the United States Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a ...

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

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

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

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

, USA: Chief of Staff of the United States Army and Supreme Allied Commander for NATO. * General

Norman Schwarzkopf Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (; August 22, 1934 – December 27, 2012) was a United States Army general. While serving as the commander of United States Central Command, he led all Coalition of the Gulf War, coalition forces in the Gulf ...

, USA: commander of

. * General

Donn A. Starry General Donn Albert Starry (May 31, 1925 – August 26, 2011) was a United States Army four-star general who served as commanding general of United States Army Training and Doctrine Command from 1977 to 1981, and as commander in chief of United Sta ...

, USA: commander of the

. * General Sam S. Walker, USA: son of General Walton Walker and superintendent of the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

. * General

Walton Walker Walton Harris Walker (December 3, 1889 – December 23, 1950) was a United States Army four-star general who served with distinction in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, where he commanded the Eighth United States Army before dying ...

, USA: commander of the 8th Army in Korea and recipient of two DFCs. * General

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

, USA: commander of the

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

in Vietnam. * Lieutenant General Edward Almond, USA: commanded X Corps during the Korean War. * Lieutenant General Hobart R. Gay, USA: commanded the 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 Sixth Army is a theater army of the United States Army. The Army service component command of United States Southern Command, its area of responsibility includes 31 countries and 15 areas of special sovereignty in Central and South America and ...

. * 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 The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...

. * Major General

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

, USA: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Major General

George Patton IV George Smith Patton IV (December 24, 1923 – June 27, 2004) was a major general in the United States Army and the son of World War II General George S. Patton Jr. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Military career Patton was e ...

, USA: Son of General

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

. * Colonel

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

, USA: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Colonel

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

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

Bo Gritz James Gordon "Bo" Gritz (; born January 18, 1939) is an American former United States Army Special Forces officer and presidential candidate. After serving in the Vietnam War and retiring from the military, Gritz has worked on attempted POW res ...

, USA: highly decorated

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

officer in Vietnam. * Lieutenant Colonel

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

, USA: military advisor in Vietnam. * Major

Lauri Törni Lauri Allan Törni (28 May 1919 – 18 October 1965), later known as Larry Alan Thorne, was a Finnish-born soldier who fought under three flags: as a Finnish Army officer in the Winter War and the Continuation War ultimately gaining a rank of ca ...

, USA: Veteran of the Finnish Army,

Waffen SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's '' Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. The grew from t ...

during World War II and U.S. Army

in Vietnam. * Chief Warrant Officer Richard McCoy Jr., USA: Vietnam veteran and aircraft hijacker. * Command Sergeant Major

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

, USA: Sergeant Major of the Army.

References

External links

The Distinguished Flying Cross Society

Texas Military Veteran Video Oral Histories Digital Collection - Veterans Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross -- Newton Gresham Library, Sam Houston State University
{{Authority control Awards established in 1926 Courage awards Military awards and decorations of the United States Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

History

World War II

Criteria

Appearance

Devices

DFC National Memorial Act

Notable recipients of the DFC

Astronauts

Political figures

Civilians

Foreign citizens

Celebrities

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

United States Marine Corps

United States Navy

United States Coast Guard

United States Army

See also

References

Further reading

External links