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. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion. Civil decorations award ...

of the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

. The medal was established on July 2, 1926, and is awarded to those who, after April 6, 1917, have distinguished 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 the U.S. paygrade of O-6 and below in combat or 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 Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...

received the first presentation of the actual medal about a month later from Coolidge during the Washington, D.C., homecoming reception on June 11, 1927, from his trans-Atlantic flight. The medal had hurriedly been struck and readied just for that occasion. The 1927 War Department General Order (G.O. 8) authorizing Lindbergh's DFC states that it was awarded by the president, while the General Order (G.O. 6) for the Pan American Flyers' DFC citation notes that the War Department awarded it "by direction of the President." The first Distinguished Flying Cross to be awarded to a Naval aviator was received by Commander

Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer, and pioneering aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader cr ...

, USN for his trans-Atlantic flight from June 29 to July 1, 1927, from New York City to the coast of France. Byrd and his pilot Machinist

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

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 BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

. The DFC may be retroactively awarded to recognize notable accomplishments made at any time after the beginning of American participation in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. 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 an American aviator during the Aviation between the World Wars, interwar period and the first aviator, pilot to fly solo around the world. Known for his work in high-altitude flyi ...

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 ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

, Glenn H. Curtiss, and

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

. 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 the 31st vice president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 under President Herbert Hoover. He was the Senate Majority Leader from 1924 to 1929. An enrolled member of the Kaw Natio ...

in Los Angeles for her solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean earlier that year.

World War I

The only Distinguished Flying Cross for

service was posthumously awarded on June 14, 2017, when 95th Aero Squadron Commander and Army Captain James Ely Miller was recognized for his actions on March 9, 1918, which made him the first American aviator serving with an American unit to die in that war.

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 establi ...

. 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 politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...

received one for the successful completion of a bombing mission in which his aircraft lost an engine and then was landed safely. On December 28, 1944, Aleda Lutz became the first military woman to receive the DFC, which she received posthumously.

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 the award to be given to any person who distinguishes themselves "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 religious symbol consisting of two intersecting lines, 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 saltire in ...

, on whose

obverse The obverse and reverse are 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, ''obverse'' ...

is superimposed a four-bladed

propeller A propeller (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 a working flu ...

, 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 cou ...

of the medal is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 3/32 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118; 9/64 inch White 67101; 11/32 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118; 3/64 inch White 67101; center stripe 3/32 inch Old Glory Red 67156; 3/64 inch White 67101; 11/32 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118; 9/64 inch White 67101; 3/32 inch Ultramarine Blue 67118.

Devices

Additional awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross are shown with bronze or silver

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

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 Letter case, capital Letter (alphabet), letter "V" with serifs which, when worn on #Decorations eligible for the "V" device, certain decorations awarded by the United States Armed Forces, distinguishes a decoration award ...

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 act was sponsored by Senator

Barbara Boxer Barbara Sue Boxer (née Levy; born November 11, 1940) is a retired American politician, lobbyist, and former reporter who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United St ...

, to designate the Distinguished Flying Cross Memorial at

March Field Air Museum The March Field Air Museum is an aviation museum near Moreno Valley, California, Moreno Valley and Riverside, California, located at March Air Reserve Base. History The museum was founded in 1979 as March Air Force Base Museum. One of the first e ...

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, California, Riverside, Moreno Valley, California, Moreno Valley, and Perri ...

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...

, 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 was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

on July 25, 2014.

Notable recipients of the DFC

This is not a complete list, as it does not include individuals who are known only for receiving the DFC. Note: the rank indicated is the highest ever held by the person.

Astronauts

* Lieutenant General Thomas P. Stafford, USAF: flew to the Moon on

Apollo 10 Apollo 10 (May 18–26, 1969) was the fourth human spaceflight in the United States' Apollo program and the second to orbit the Moon. NASA, the mission's operator, described it as a "dress rehearsal" for the first Moon landing (Apollo 11, two ...

, commander of the

Apollo–Soyuz Apollo–Soyuz was the first crewed international Space exploration, 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 an American Apollo comm ...

mission. * Major General Michael Collins, USAF: command module pilot for

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...

mission to the Moon. * Major General

Joe Engle Joe Henry Engle (August 26, 1932 – July 10, 2024) was an American pilot, aeronautical engineer, and 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 ...

, USAF:

X-15 The North American X-15 is a Hypersonic speed, hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft which was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the List of X-planes, X-plane series of ...

and

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, 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. ...

pilot. * Rear Admiral

Alan Shepard Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998) was an American astronaut. In 1961, he became the second person and the first American to travel into space and, in 1971, he became the List of Apollo astronauts#Apollo astr ...

, USN: one of the original seven American astronauts, first American in space in '' Freedom 7'', commanded

Apollo 14 Apollo 14 (January 31February 9, 1971) was the eighth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, the third to Moon landing, land on the Moon, and the first to land in the Geology of the Moon#Highlands, lunar highlands. It was the las ...

. * Brigadier General

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

, 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 3–13, 1969) was the third human spaceflight in NASA's Apollo program, which successfully tested systems and procedures critical to landing on the Moon. The three-man crew consisted of Commander James McDivitt, Command Modul ...

. * Brigadier General

Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin ( ; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three extravehicular activity, spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission, and was the Lunar Module Eag ...

, USAF: Lunar Module pilot for

, second man to walk on the Moon. * Colonel

Frank Borman Frank Frederick Borman II (March 14, 1928 – November 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel (United States), colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman. He was the commander of Apollo ...

, USAF: commander of

Apollo 8 Apollo 8 (December 21–27, 1968) was the first crewed spacecraft to leave Sphere of influence (astrodynamics), Earth's gravitational sphere of influence, and the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon. The crew orbited the Moon ten times ...

. * Colonel

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

, USAF: first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission. * Colonel

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

, USAF: one of the original seven American astronauts, pilot of '' Faith 7'' and commander of

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

. * Colonel

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

: Space Shuttle pilot and recipient of three DFCs. * Colonel

John Glenn John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1 ...

, USMC: (5 awards) One of the original seven American astronauts, first American to orbit the Earth in ''

Friendship 7 Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) was the first crewed American orbital spaceflight, which took place on February 20, 1962. Piloted by astronaut John Glenn and operated by NASA as part of Project Mercury, it was the fifth human spaceflight, preceded by Sov ...

'' and United States Senator. * Colonel

David Scott David Randolph Scott (born June 6, 1932) is an American retired test pilot and NASA astronaut who was the List of Apollo astronauts#People who have walked on the Moon, seventh person to walk on the Moon. Selected as part of the NASA Astronaut ...

, 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 Project Gemini, Gemini program. It was launched on March 16, 1966, and was the 14th crew ...

and

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

. * Captain

Eugene Cernan Eugene Andrew Cernan (; March 14, 1934 – January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut, United States naval aviator, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. Cernan traveled into space three times and ...

, USN: pilot of Gemini 9A, lunar module pilot of

and commander of

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

. One of three 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, aviator, and test pilot who commanded the Apollo 12 mission, on which he became the third person to walk on t ...

, 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 in Florida. Commander Charles ...

and Skylab 2. * Captain Robert Crippen, USN: pilot on first Space Shuttle mission. * Captain

Mark Kelly Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, retired astronaut, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat he ha ...

, 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 a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

. * 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 the fi ...

, 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 spacef ...

, 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 were ...

, Command Module Pilot of

, and Commander of

Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo program, Apollo space program and would have been the third Moon landing. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the landing was abort ...

, recipient of 2 DFCs. * Captain

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

, USN: one of the original seven American astronauts who flew on '' Sigma 7'', Gemini 6A and as commander of

Apollo 7 Apollo 7 (October 11–22, 1968) was the first crewed flight in NASA's Apollo program, and saw the resumption of human spaceflight by the agency after the fire that had killed the three Apollo 1 astronauts during a launch rehearsal test ...

. * Captain John Young, USN: flew on

and

Apollo 16 Apollo 16 (April 1627, 1972) was the tenth human spaceflight, crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, Apollo space program, administered by NASA, and the fifth and penultimate to Moon landing, land on the Moon. It was the second o ...

, commander of the first Space Shuttle mission. * Lieutenant Colonel Duane Carey, USAF:

pilot. Awarded with Valor Device. * Lieutenant Colonel

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

, 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 ''Liber ...

''. * 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'', and aquanaut with

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

project. * Major

Deke Slayton Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton (March 1, 1924 – June 13, 1993) was an American Air Force pilot, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts. He went on to become NASA's first Chief of the Astronaut O ...

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

mission. * Commander Joe F. Edwards Jr., USN: He was decorated before becoming an astronaut with the

STS-89 STS-89 was a Space Shuttle mission to the ''Mir'' space station flown by Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Endeavour, ''Endeavour'', and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on 22 January 1998. Crew Crew notes STS-89 was originally scheduled ...

mission, following his successful carrier landing of his F-14B after the radome had been separated mid-flight, injuring him and having to perform the landing with a blinded eye. *

Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer who, in 1969, became the Apollo 11#Lunar surface operations, first person to walk on the Moon. He was al ...

: Commander of Apollo 11, first person to walk on the moon. Armstrong was a civilian throughout his tenure at NASA. Note: Although astronaut

'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. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

. * Major General Patrick J. Hurley, USAR: Secretary of War. * Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton, USN: US Senator. * Brigadier General

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

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

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

, USAFR:

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government 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 Dan McKee, a member of the Democrati ...

. * Colonel

Lloyd Bentsen Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. (February 11, 1921 – May 23, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 69th United States secretary of the treasury under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994. He served as a United States senator from ...

, USAFR: US Senator, Secretary of the Treasury, and vice presidential candidate. * Colonel Alexander Butterfield, 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 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

. * 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' 12th congressional district as a ...

, USAAF: Speaker of the US House of Representatives. * Captain Bruce Alger, USAAF: US Representative. * Captain Peter H. Dominick, USAAF: US Senator. * Captain William Hathaway, USAAF: US Senator. * Captain

Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican United States Senate, U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death at age ...

, USMC: US Senator. * Captain Gentner Drummond, USAF: Attorney General of Oklahoma. * 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 United States Senate, U.S. Senator from Alaska from 1968 to 2009. He was the longest-serving Republican Party (United St ...

, 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 White House Counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon. Ehrlichman was an important infl ...

, USAAF: aide to President

. * First Lieutenant

Brendan Byrne Brendan Thomas Byrne (April 1, 1924 – January 4, 2018) was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician who served as the 47th Governor of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982. Byrne began his career as a private attorney in Newark and Eas ...

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 the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

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 a ...

: aircraft designer. Posthumously awarded in 1933. *

: legendary aviator. 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 aviator, aviation pioneer, credited with the first shipboard aircraft takeoff and landing. Background Ely was born in Williamsburg, Iowa, and raised in Davenport, Iowa. H ...

: first person to make a ship-board landing in an aircraft. Posthumously awarded in 1933. * Harold Gatty: 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 The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were American aviation pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first succes ...

: aviation pioneer. Awarded by Act of Congress on December 18, 1928.Awarded by Act of Congress December 18, 1928. *

Wilbur Wright The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were American aviation List of aviation pioneers, pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flyin ...

: 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 Dunkir ...

, RAF: distinguished British pilot and flying ace during World War II * Colonel

Francesco De Pinedo Francesco de Pinedo (February 16, 1890 – September 2, 1933) was an 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 seaplan ...

: Regia Aeronautica: completed the Four Continents Flight in a flying boat in 1927. * Lieutenant Colonel Dieudonné Costes: French Army: completed around the world flight. * Lieutenant Commander Joseph Le Brix: French Navy: completed around the world flight. * Commandant James Fitzmaurice: Irish Air Corps. Flew on first non-stop westward crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on the ''Bremen''. * Major Georgy Parshin,

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...

: Soviet fighter ace, twice

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

. * Major Arthur Chin,

Republic of China Air Force The Republic of China Air Force ( Chinese, 中華民國空軍), or the ROCAF; known colloquially as the Taiwanese Air Force ( Chinese, 臺灣空軍) by Western or mainland Chinese media, or commonly referred as the National Military Air Force ...

: Chinese-American fighter ace. * Captain Hermann Köhl: German Army: flew on first non-stop westward crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. * Baron Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld: German aristocrat: flew on first non-stop westward crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. * Col. Jesus Villamor, Philippine Army Air Corps for actions during the defense of the Philippines, December 1941. * Lt. Jose Gozar, Philippine Army Air Corps for actions during the defense of the Philippines, December 1941

Celebrities

* Brigadier General

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

, USAFR: World War II B-24 pilot and Group Operations Officer. Academy Award-winning actor. * Brigadier General

Chuck Yeager Brigadier general (United States), 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 his ...

, USAF: test pilot and first human to break the sound barrier. * Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Coleman, USMC: World War II and Korean War pilot. Second baseman for the

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

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

. * Major

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

, USAAF: Star of ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel 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. As a member of the "Disney's Nine Old Men, Nine Old Men" at Walt Disney Animati ...

, USAAF: World War pilot. Animator, director and producer for Disney animated movies. * Captain Don Herbert, USAAF: World War II B-24 pilot. Creator and host of the '' Watch Mr. Wizard'' 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 and producer who created the science fiction series and fictional universe ''Star Trek.'' Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up ...

, USAAF: Creator of the ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'' television series and franchise. * Captain Dan Rowan, USAAF:

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

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 Major film studios, five major film studios of the Cinema of the United States, United States, the Major film studios#Mini-majors, mini-major Amazon MGM Stud ...

. * 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 desi ...

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 "Hap" Arnold (25 June 1886 – 15 January 1950) was an American General officers in the United States, general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army and later, General of the Ai ...

, USAF: commander of the US Army Air Forces during World War II. * General Samuel E. Anderson, USAF: commander of the 5th Air Force during the Korean War. * General

Jimmy Doolittle 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 raid on Japan during World War II, known as the Doolittle Raid in his honor. He ma ...

, USAF: leader of the Doolittle Raid. * 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 aug ...

. * General George S. Brown, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General Ira C. Eaker, USAF: commander of the 8th Air Force during World War II. * General Charles A. Gabriel, USAF: Chief of Staff or the U.S. Air Force, recipient of five DFCs. * General Charles A. Horner, USAF: commander of

United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilit ...

air forces during the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

. * General Daniel James Jr., USAF: first African-American US Air Force four-star general. * General David C. Jones, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General

George C. Kenney George Churchill Kenney (6 August 1889 – 9 August 1977) was a United States Army general during World War II. He is best known as the commander of the Allies of World War II, Allied Air Forces in the South West Pacific Area (command), Southw ...

, USAF: first commander of

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was 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 compon ...

. * General

Curtis Lemay Curtis Emerson LeMay (November 15, 1906 – October 1, 1990) was a United States Air Force, US Air Force General (United States), general who was a key American military commander during the Cold War. He served as Chief of Staff of the United St ...

, USAF: Air Force Chief of Staff and vice presidential candidate. * General Seth J. McKee, USAF:

NORAD North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ; , CDAAN), 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 pr ...

commander and

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

veteran. * General John C. Meyer, USAF: commander of Strategic Air Command. Seven DFCs * General Richard B. Myers, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * General Joseph W. Ralston, USAF: Supreme Allied Commander for NATO. * General Carl Spaatz, USAF: first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. * General Nathan F. Twining, USAF: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * Lieutenant General

Frank Maxwell Andrews Frank Maxwell Andrews (February 3, 1884 – May 3, 1943) was a senior Officer (armed forces), 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 an accident in 1943. * Lieutenant General Royal N. Baker, USAF: flew combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. * Lieutenant General

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

, USAF: commander of the

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

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 Nationalist Air Force in World War II. Chennault was a fierce advocate of "pursui ...

, USAF: commander of the

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

. * Lieutenant General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., 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 ...

, USAF: first commander of

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...

. * Lieutenant General George E. Stratemeyer, USAF: commander of Far East Air Forces during the Korean War. * Major General Orvil A. Anderson, USAF: participant in altitude record-setting Air Corps Stratospheric Balloon Flights in Explorer I and Explorer II in 1934 and 1935. * Major General Frederick C. Blesse, USAF: Korean War double

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

with ten victories, six DFCs * Major General David M. Jones, USAF: Doolittle Raider 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, 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 bombing, strategic air power, and proponent of an independent United States Air Force. Olds is best known today as th ...

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

pilot. * Major General Clarence A. Shoop, USAAF: WWII observation pilot * Major General Mele "Mel" Vojvodich, USAF: pilot for the CIA in Vietnam, three DFCs. * Brigadier General Frederick Walker Castle, USAAF: four DFCs. * Brigadier General E. Daniel Cherry, USAF: ten DFCs. * Brigadier General Gerald Goodfellow, 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, USAFR: first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. * Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF: combat pilot in World War II and Vietnam War and recipient of six DFCs. * Brigadier General Richard Stephen Ritchie, USAF: only USAF pilot to achieve ace status during the Vietnam War, with five kills. * Brigadier General

Elliott Roosevelt Elliott Roosevelt may refer to: * Elliott Roosevelt (socialite) (1860–1894), American socialite, father-in-law of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, father of Eleanor Roosevelt, younger brother of President Theodore Roosevelt, and grandfather of G ...

, USAAF: son of President

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

. * Brigadier General Robert Lee Scott Jr., USAF: fighter pilot who earned three DFCs. * Brigadier General Dale E. Stovall, USAF: Vietnam War CSAR pilot who rescued Roger Locher, deepest rescue inside North Vietnam. * Brigadier General Kenneth M. Taylor, 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 Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

. * Brigadier General Paul Tibbets, USAF: pilot of the ''

Enola Gay The ''Enola Gay'' () is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Colonel (United States), Colonel Paul Tibbets. On 6 August 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the Atomi ...

''. * 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 the first plane to fly over the

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True South Pole to distinguish ...

. * Colonel Kim Campbell, USAF: for successfully completing her mission supporting ground troops over Baghdad in April 2003 and successfully landing her A-10 back at base despite sustaining severe damage to her aircraft. * Colonel

, USAFR: multiple record-setting aviator, 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 pilot. * Colonel Bernard F. Fisher, USAF: Vietnam War A-1 Skyraider pilot. * Colonel

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

, USAF: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Colonel Joe M. Jackson, 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, USAF: highest scoring American ace in the European Theater with 34 kills. Recipient of 13 DFCs. * Colonel Jose L. Holguin, USAF: Silver Star recipient and POW during World War II. * Colonel James K. Johnson, USAF: Korean war ace with 11 kills. Recipient of three DFCs. * Colonel Charles H. MacDonald, USAF: recipient of six DFCs. * Colonel Ashley Chadbourne McKinley, USAF: Photographer on first flight over the South Pole. * Colonel Russell Maughan, USAAF: completed first "dawn to dusk" transcontinental flight. * Colonel Robert J. "Shorty" Rankin, USAAF: first pilot in 56th FG with 5 aerial victories in one day; awarded 4 DFCs. * Colonel David C. Schilling, USAF: recipient of 11 DFCs. * Colonel Lowell Smith, USAAF: conducted first aerial refueling and commanded first aerial circumnavigation of the globe. * Colonel Robert E. Thacker, USAF: pilot of record-breaking flight from Honolulu to New York and recipient of three DFCs. * Colonel Leo K. Thorsness, USAF: Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam War veteran. * Lieutenant Colonel Lee Archer, USAF: first African-American fighter ace. * Lieutenant Colonel Leaford Bearskin, USAF: veteran of World War II and Korea and also Chief of the

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

. * Lieutenant Colonel Everett Ernest Blakely USAF: B-17 Pilot in WW II. Received this medal after a bombing mission to Trondheim, Norway. * Lieutenant Colonel Louis Edward Curdes USAAF: Recipient of two DFCs. One of only three American WW II pilots to shoot down German, Italian and Japanese planes. He also intentionally shot down an American plane. * Lieutenant Colonel George A. Davis, USAF: high-scoring Korean War ace. * Lieutenant Colonel Bill Harris (aviator) USAF: WW2 Triple ace fighter pilot. * Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. Novosel, USAFR: Vietnam War helicopter pilot, Medal of Honor recipient, three DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel Robert S. Johnson, USAFR: recipient of nine DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel Arthur W. Murray, USAF: early jet test pilot. * Lieutenant Colonel Dick Rutan, USAF: piloted first unrefueled non-stop around the world flight. Recipient of five DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel Albert William Stevens, USAAF: participant in both the Explorer I and Explorer II stratospheric balloon flights. * Lieutenant Colonel Boyd Wagner, USAAC: first Army Air Corps ace of World War II. * Lieutenant Colonel Ray Shuey Wetmore, USAAF: 21 aerial victories during World War II. Received six DFCs. * Lieutenant Colonel Gerald O. Young, USAF: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Lieutenant Colonel Jay Zeamer Jr., USAF: World War II Medal of Honor recipient. * Lieutenant Colonel Dan "Two Dogs" Hampton, USAF: received four DFC's as a "Wild Weasel" surface-to-air missile killer. * Major Richard Bong, USAAF: highest-scoring American ace of World War II. * Major Horace S. Carswell Jr., USAAF: World War II bomber pilot. * Major George Andrew Davis Jr., USAF: Ace in both World War II and the Korean War. Four DFCs. * Major Charles J. Loring Jr., USAF: World War II POW and Korean War F-80 Shooting Star pilot. * Major Thomas McGuire, USAAF: second highest-scoring American ace in World War II with 38 kills. Six DFCs. * Major John T. Godfrey, USAAF: shot down 18 German aircraft. * Major Louis J. Sebille, USAF: Korean War F-51 Mustang pilot, two DFCs. * Major Joseph Thompson Jr., USAAF: Aerial reconnaissance pilot with 90 missions, most behind enemy lines. * Major MJ Hegar, 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 Carl Ally, USAAF: advertising executive and founder of Ally & Gargano. * 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 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of th ...

. Destroyed three enemy aircraft over France in a single mission on July 12, 1944, and a fourth aircraft on July 20, 1944, becoming the first

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

fighter pilot to do so. * Captain Hawthorne C. Gray, USAAC: died during altitude record breaking balloon ascent in 1927. * Captain Joseph Kittinger, USAF: seven DFCs, served three tours in Vietnam and holder of the highest free-fall parachute jump record for 52 years. * Captain

Ken Kavanaugh 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, 1929August 1, 1977) was an American pilot who served as a United States Air Force officer and a CIA employee. Powers is best known for his involvement in the 1960 U-2 incident, when he was shot down while fly ...

, 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, an Olympic distance runner and a Christian Evangelism, evangelist. He took up running in high school and qualified for the United States in t ...

, 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 Presidency of Richard Nixon, administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Resignation of Richard Nixon, Nix ...

. * First Lieutenant Bob Hoover, 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-bombe ...

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 o ...

. * 2nd Lieutenant Dean Cullom Smith, USAACR: pilot for Admiral Byrd's 1928 to 1930 Antarctic Expedition. * Chief Master Sergeant Duane D. Hackney, USAF: recipient of four DFCs. * Technical Sergeant Ben Kuroki, USAAF: Japanese-American veteran of 58 combat missions.

United States Marine Corps

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

: Medal of Honor recipient, second highest scoring Marine Corps ace of World War II and Governor of South Dakota. * Brigadier General Robert E. Galer, USMC: commanded VMF-224 on

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

. * Colonel Kenneth L. Reusser, USMC: recipient of two DFCs. Had 253 combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. * Colonel Archie Van Winkle, USMC: World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran. * Colonel Jefferson J. DeBlanc, USMC: shot down five planes in a single day. * Colonel John Lucian Smith, USMC: leader of the Cactus Air Force on

. * 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 Charles S. Whitehouse, USMC: diplomat, CIA officer and recipient of seven DFCs. * Captain Hubert A. "Butch" Locke, USMC: recipient of 2 DFCs. Completed 430 combat missions during the Vietnam War. * First Lieutenant Robert M. Hanson, USMC: member of the Black Sheep Squadron (VMFA-214) with 25 kills.

United States Navy

* Admiral Stan Arthur, USN:

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

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

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...

. * Admiral James L. Holloway III, USN: Chief of Naval Operations. * Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, USN: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. * Admiral Huntington Hardisty, USN: Commander in Chief of

United States Pacific Command The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is the unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific region. It is the oldest and largest of the unified combatant commands. Lead ...

. * Vice Admiral

Walter E. Carter Jr. Walter Edward "Ted" Carter Jr. (born 4 November 1959) is an American academic administrator and retired United States Navy Vice admiral (United States), vice admiral. He has been serving as the 17th and current president of Ohio State University ...

, 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 associ ...

and superintendent of the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) 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 United States Secre ...

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

and vice presidential candidate. * Rear Admiral

, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, organized and led first flights over the north and south poles. * Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton, USN: Navy Cross recipient, POW in Vietnam for seven and a half years. * Rear Admiral Wade McClusky, USN: hero of the

Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II, 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 t ...

. * Captain Michael J. Estocin, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, missing in action in the Vietnam War. * Captain Cecil E. Harris, USN: second highest scoring Navy ace with 24 kills. Recipient of three DFCs. * Captain David McCampbell, USN: Medal of Honor recipient, top US Navy ace of World War II. * Captain Royce Williams, USN: ace fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, awarded two DFCs. * Commander Everett Alvarez Jr., USN: POW in Vietnam for eight years and seven months. * Commander

Stephen Coonts 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 (United States), Distinguished Flying C ...

, USNR: flew on second non-stop trans-Atlantic flight with

. * Lieutenant Commander Richard Halsey Best, USN : the first pilot to successfully bomb two Japanese carriers, the ''Akagi'' and the ''Hiryu'', in one day * Lieutenant Harold June, USN: co-pilot of first flight over the

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

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

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

United States Coast Guard

* Radioman First Class Benjamin Bottoms, USCG: Greenland Patrol, World War II * Vice Admiral John Currier, USCG * Lieutenant John A. Prichard, USCG: Greenland Patrol, World War II

United States Army

* General of the Army

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

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

Alexander Haig Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. (; 2 December 192420 February 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 cabine ...

, USA: NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe and Secretary of State. * General Wayne A. Downing, 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, 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-Man ...

. * 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 The United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a Unified Combatant Command#Subordinate Unified Command, sub-unified command of United States Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK was initially established in 1957, and e ...

. * 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., USA: first African-American US Army four star general. * General Bernard W. Rogers, USA: Chief of Staff of the United States Army and Supreme Allied Commander for NATO. * General Norman Schwarzkopf, USA: commander of

. * General Donn A. Starry, USA: commander of the

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

Virginia Military Institute The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the U.S. In k ...

. * General

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

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

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...

in Vietnam. * Lieutenant General Edward Almond, USA: commanded X Corps (United States), X Corps during the Korean War. * Lieutenant General Hobart R. Gay, USA: commanded the 1st Cavalry Division (United States), 1st Cavalry Division in the Korean War. * Lieutenant General David E. Grange, USA: combat veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam and commander of the Sixth United States Army. * Lieutenant General James F. Hollingsworth, USA: combat veteran of World War II and Vietnam. Recipient of three DFCs. * Lieutenant General Thomas Tackaberry, USA: combat veteran of Korea and Vietnam and commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps. * Major General Patrick Henry Brady, USA: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Major General George Patton IV, USA: Son of General George S. Patton. * Colonel Bruce P. Crandall, USA: Vietnam War helicopter pilot. * Colonel David Hackworth, USA: highly decorated Army officer, commentator and author. * Lieutenant Colonel Bo Gritz, USA: highly decorated Special Forces officer in Vietnam. * Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann, USA: military advisor in Vietnam. * Major Lauri Törni, USA: Veteran of the Finnish Army, Waffen SS during World War II and U.S. Army Special Forces in Vietnam. * Chief Warrant Officer Richard McCoy Jr., USA: Vietnam veteran and aircraft hijacker. * Command Sergeant Major Silas L. Copeland, USA: Sergeant Major of the Army.

References

External links

The Distinguished Flying Cross Society

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

History

World War I

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