Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
| Distinguished Flying Cross | |
|---|---|
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| Awarded by United States Military | |
| Type | Medal |
| Awarded for | "Heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight" |
| Status | Current |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Legion of Merit |
| Next (lower) | Army – Soldier's Medal Navy – Navy and Marine Corps Medal Air Force – Airman's Medal Coast Guard – Coast Guard Medal |
 Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon |
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The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The decoration may also be given for an act performed prior to that date when the individual has been recommended for, but has not received the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross or Distinguished Service Medal.
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History
The Distinguished Flying Cross, was authorized by an Act of Congress of July 2, 1926, an act amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938.
The first Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded by President Calvin Coolidge on May 2, 1927, to ten Army Air Corps airmen who had embarked on the Pan American Good Will Flight, which took place from December 1926 to May 1927. Two of the flyers died in a tragic mid-air collision during the Flight, and received their awards posthumously. Since the award had only been authorized by Congress the previous year, no medals actually had been minted, so none were available for presentation to the Pan American Flyers at that time.
Charles Lindbergh was awarded the DFC during his Washington DC homecoming reception on June 11, 1927, when President Coolidge presented him with the first DFC medal, which had hurriedly been struck and readied just for that occasion. Interestingly, the 1927 War Department General Order (G.O. 8), authorizing Lindbergh's DFC states that it was awarded by the President, while the General Order (G.O. 6) for the Pan American Flyers' DFC citation notes that the War Department awarded it "by direction of the President." The first Distinguished Flying Cross to be awarded to a Naval Aviator was received by then-Commander Richard E. Byrd, for his flight on May 9, 1926, to and from the North Pole. Both Lindbergh and Byrd also received the Medal of Honor for their feats.
Numerous military recipients of the medal would later earn greater fame in other occupations—several astronauts, actors and politicians (including former President George H. W. Bush) are Distinguished Flying Cross holders.
DFC awards could be retroactive to cover notable achievements back until the beginning of WW 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 includeWiley Post, Jacqueline Cochran, Roscoe Turner, Amelia Earhart, and Eugene Ely. Eventually, it was limited to military personnel by an Executive Order issued by President Coolidge.
During wartime, members of the Armed Forces of friendly foreign nations serving with the United States are eligible for the Distinguished Flying Cross. It is also given to those who display heroism while working as instructors or students at flying schools.
Admiral Stan Arthur received 11 Distinguished Flying Crosses—the most earned by any person.
Design
The Distinguished Flying Cross was designed by Elizabeth Will and Arthur E. DuBois. It is a bronze cross pattee, with rays between the arms of the cross. On the obverse is a propeller of four blades, with one blade in each arm of the cross and in the re-entrant angles of the cross are rays which form a square. The cross is suspended by a rectangle-shaped bar and centered on this is a plain shield. The reverse is blank and suitable for engraving the recipient's name and rank.
The ribbon has a narrow red center stripe, flanked on either side by a thin white stripe, a wide stripe of dark blue, a narrow white stripe and narrow dark blue at the edge of the ribbon.
Subsequent awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross are indicated by oak leaf clusters, for Army and Air Force personnel, and by award stars for members of the Navy and Coast Guard.
See also
- Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
- Inter-service decorations of the United States military
References
External links
- Distinguished Flying Cross - Criteria, Background, and Images
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- The Distinguished Flying Cross Society
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