Distinguished Flying Cross
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

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 combat in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding The Soldier's Medal is a military award of the United States Army. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the second highest non-combatant medal awarded by the United States Department of the Navy to members of the United States Navy and the The Airman’s Medal is a military decoration of the United States Air Force and is awarded to those service members who distinguish themselves by heroic actions Inter-service decorations of the United States military are military awards which are issued by the United States armed forces to members of all five branches of The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common " 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. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, awarded for extreme The Navy Cross is the second highest medal that can be awarded by the Department of the Navy and the second highest award given for valor. The Air Force Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States of America military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious

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 United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. executive order in the United States is a Directive issued by the President, the head of the executive branch of the federal government Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. DFC #1 was awarded to Charles Lindbergh although Herbert Dargue is reported to have received the award two weeks before Lindberg. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Major-General Herbert "Bert" Arthur Dargue ( November 17, 1886 - in Brooklyn, New York - December 12, 1941

The first D. F. C. to be awarded to a Navy man was to Commander Richard E. Byrd, of the U. Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, USN ( October 25, 1888 &ndash March 11, 1957) was a pioneering American polar S. Navy Air Corps, on May 9, 1926, for his flight to and from the North Pole. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is subject to the caveats explained below defined as the point in the northern Both of these aviators also received the Medal of Honor for their feats. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government.

Recipients of the medal include George H. W. Bush, John McCain, Tex Hill (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), Ted Stevens, Jimmy Doolittle (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), Joe Foss, Curtis LeMay, John Glenn (with five Oak Leaf Clusters), George Mcgovern, Kim Campbell, Sabu Dastagir, Morgan E. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 David Lee "Tex" Hill (13 July 1915 – 11 October 2007 was a fighter pilot and Flying ace in World War II, with later service in Korea Theodore Fulton Stevens (born November 18 1923 is the senior United States Senator from Alaska, serving since December 24 1968 General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle USAF (14 December 1896 &ndash 27 September 1993 was an American Aviation pioneer Joseph Jacob "Joe" Foss (April 17 1915&ndashJanuary 1 2003 was a leading " ace " fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps during Curtis Emerson LeMay (15 November 1906–3 October 1990 was a General in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent John Herschel Glenn Jr (born July 18 1921 in Cambridge Ohio) is a former United States Senator who first rose to fame as the first American to Orbit George Stanley McGovern Major Kim Reed-Campbell (born 1975 is a pilot in the US Air Force. Sabu Dastagir ( January 27, 1924 &ndash December 2, 1963) was a Film Actor of Indian South Asian origin—although Lilly (with eight Oak Leaf Clusters), Jimmy Stewart (with Oak Leaf Cluster), and Joseph McCarthy. James Maitland Stewart (20 May 1908 – 2 July 1997 popularly known as Jimmy Stewart, was an American Film and stage Actor Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14 1908 – May 2 1957 was an American politician who served as a Republican U At least five civilians have received the award: Orville Wright, Wilbur Wirght Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart, and Eugene Ely. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Wiley Hardeman Post ( November 22, 1898 &ndash August 15, 1935) was the first pilot to fly solo around the world WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Eugene Burton Ely ( October 21 1886 - October 19, 1911) was an aviation pioneer, credited with the first shipboard aircraft

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.

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. Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus A cross pattée (also known as a "cross pattee" "cross patty" or "cross formy" or in German "Tatzenkreuz" is a type of 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 rectangular-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 Naval services. An oak leaf cluster or oakleaves is a common device which is placed on U An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French armée) in the broadest sense is the land-based Armed forces An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense the national military or armed service An award star is a decoration issued by the United States military in lieu of multiple awards of the same award for example a second and subsequent Legion of Merit

Legal

In the United States, any false verbal, written or physical claim to an award or decoration authorized for wear by authorized military members or veterans is a federal felony offense punishable by up to a year in jail and up to a $5000 fine. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

See also

• Awards and decorations of the United States military
• Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)

References

External links

• United States Association of D.F.C. honorees
• Distinguished Flying Cross - Criteria, Background, and Images
• Distinguished Flying Cross - Link to High Quality Image