- Established
- 1926
- Awarded by
- All services
- Criteria
- Heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight.
- Precedence
- #11 of 18 in this guide · below Legion of Merit · above Soldier’s Medal and service equivalents
The oldest U.S. military aviation award. Early recipients included pioneering aviators; Amelia Earhart received it by special act of Congress in 1932 after her solo Atlantic flight.
From Wikipedia
The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. 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.
Excerpt from “Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable recipients
- George H. W. Bush1924–2018 · World War II
- John McCain1936–2018 · Vietnam War
- Amelia Earhart1897–1939
- Buzz Aldrin1930 · Korean War
- Douglas MacArthur Medal of Honor too1880–1964 · World War I
- Clark Gable1901–1960 · World War II
- James Stewart1908–1997 · World War II
- Charles Lindbergh Medal of Honor too1902–1974
- Michael Collins1930–2021
- John Glenn1921–2016 · World War II
- Joseph McCarthy1908–1957 · World War II
- Alan Shepard1923–1998 · World War II
- Jim Lovell1928–2025
- Gene Roddenberry1921–1991 · World War II
- Frank Borman1928–2023
Images: medal (Public domain, US Army Institute of Heraldry); ribbon (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.
