FReeper Canteen ~ Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross ~ March 5, 2007

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[StarCMC]

 

 

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The FReeper Canteen
looks at
The Air Force
Distinguished Flying Cross

This medal is awarded to any officer or enlisted man of the Armed Forces of the United States who shall have distinguished himself in actual combat 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 November 11, 1918, when the individual has been recommended for, but has not received the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Distinguished Service Medal.

The Distinguished Flying Cross, authorized by an Act of Congress of July 2, 1926 (amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938), was awarded first to Captain Charles A. Lindbergh, of the U.S. Army Corps Reserve, for his solo flight of 3600 miles across the Atlantic in 1927, a feat which electrified the world and made "Lindy" one of America's most popular heroes. The first D.F.C. to be awarded to a Navy man was to Commander Richard E. Byrd, of the U.S. Navy Air Corps, on May 9, 1926, for his exciting flight to and from the North Pole. Both these famous aviators also received the Medal of Honor with the Distinguished Flying Cross. The Aviatrix Amelia Earhart also received the Distinguished Flying Cross. Hers was the only such award, as an executive order on March 1, 1927, ruled that D.F.C. should not be conferred on civilians.

During wartime, members of the Armed Forces of friendly foreign nations serving with the United States are eligible for the D.F.C. It is also given to those who display heroism while working as instructors or students at flying schools.

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 recatgular-shaped bar and centered on this is a plain shield. The reverse is blank and suitable for engraving the recipients 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 additional award stars for members of the Naval services.

An example of the gallantry for which the Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded took place on the morning of August 31, 1969 in Vietnam. Captain Francis J. Cuddy, USMC a Helicopter pilot, was assigned the mission of assisting in the extraction of an Army Special Forces reconnaissance team heavily engaged in combat with a large North Vietnamese Army deep in an mountainous area under the enemy's complete control. Captain Cuddy, undaunted by the heavy volume of hostile fire directed at his aircraft, directed other helicopters into the area, moved his aircraft into treetop level and delivered repeated rocket and strafing runs on the enemy positions. As a result of his devastating attacks, the hostile fire was suppressed and sufficiently to enable the transport helicopters to safely extract the reconnaissance team. The citation for his award went on the say ". . .Captain Cuddy's courage, superior airmanship, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of personal danger were instrumental in accomplishing this hazardous mission and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service." Captain Cuddy was also awarded the Silver Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, Commendation Medal with Combat "V," the Purple Heart and forty eight Air Medals During his tour of duty in Vietnam.

Link

        

Michael Durant

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Michael J. Durant
1961-
Mike Durant speaking at Tyndall Air Force Base in November 2002
Nickname	Mike
Rank	Chief Warrant Officer 4
Battles/wars	Operation Just Cause Operation Desert Storm Battle of Mogadishu
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross  (3) Bronze Star Purple Heart

Michael 'Mike' J. Durant (born July 23, 1961) is the American pilot who was held prisoner after a raid in Mogadishu, Somalia on October 3, 1993. Durant is a native of Berlin, New Hampshire, and served in the United States Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers) as a Chief Warrant Officer 3. He retired from the Army as a CW4 Blackhawk helicopter master aviator in the 160th SOAR after participating in combat operations Prime Chance, Just Cause, Desert Storm, and Gothic Serpent. His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals, POW Medal, and numerous others. He and his wife Lisa have six children.

Biography

Durant was the pilot of Super Six Four, the second MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to crash during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3, 1993. The helicopter was hit by a rocket propelled grenade, and, although the aircraft remained stable at first, a few minutes later it began to malfunction, which led to its crash about a mile southwest of the raid's target.

Durant was badly injured, but survived the crash. Shortly after the crash, two Delta Force soldiers, MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randy Shughart, arrived and fought off the advancing Somalis but were eventually shot and killed. Both Gordon and Shughart received the Medal of Honor posthumously for this action. The Somalis captured Durant and held him for eleven days before his release.

Durant is retired from the military. He now offers seminars to military personnel about helicopter maneuvering and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) operations.

Durant also offers talks about the Somalia raid and the experiences he had in captivity. He personally offered an extensive interview to actor Ron Eldard, who portrayed Durant in the movie Black Hawk Down, which chronicles the events of the raid.

In 2003, Durant published a book titled In The Company of Heroes in which he chronicles his military career and his captivity.

Durant was a member of the Bush-Cheney '04 Veterans Team.

Link

        

Field Trip: The Distinguished Flying Cross Society

Click the pic to visit!

 

 

Other Links

List of Awardees

United States Association of D.F.C. honorees

Dinstinguished Flying Cross - Criteria, Background, and Images

Please remember: 

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Now go out there and have FUN!!!!   
*HUGS!*  

 

 

 

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thank you Star, for this awesome thread.
SSG Thomas Field was a friend of ours who was killed there..

http://www.nightstalkers.com/tfranger/memorial/field/index.html

Ms.B

[jblair]

Great thread-feature.

Two DFC winners you've never heard of... Hal Dortch and Jim Alder from the 333rd TFS out of Takhli.

Steve Ritchie from the 555rd, Triple Nickle. TEN DFCs, if I'm not mistaken. Incredible.

[luvie]

Awesome.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thank you, Capt Glenn Rojohn, for your service to our country.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Evenin' Sissy!
*HUG*
Ms.B

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, CWO4 Durant, for your service to our country.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Gotta run out for a few. Be back shortly.

[luvie]

?

[luvie]

?

[luvie]

?

[luvie]

Hey there, Sis! (((((hugs)))))

Didja have a good day today?

Did Mr. B have a good birthday? What did ya fix him for dinner?

Is it very cold there tonight?

[SandRat]

DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS/PURPLE HEART

Bombing the Oberpfaffenhofen/Wessling Airdrome, Munich

13 June, 1944--a week after D-Day. Target was the Oberpfaffenhofen/Wessling airdrome in Munich, Germany. Twenty-six planes dropped 36 tons of fragmentation bombs. Flak over the target was heavy and enemy fighters made a pass at the formation and damaged several planes before P-51 and P-38 escorts drove them off. One plane failed to return. Flight time for the mission was 6 hours and 5 minutes. During that mission, my father was cited for bravery in action, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, even though it would be 40 more years before he found out about it!

CITATION

DONALD WISE, Serial No. 0-752796, 1st Lt. 15th Air Force, 463rd Bomb Group. Date Awarded: 2 August, 1944. Major General Twining, Commanding.

"For extraordinary achievement in aerial flight as bombardier of a B-17 type aircraft. On 13 June, 1944, Lt. Wise participated in a bombing mission against a heavily defended air field in Germany. Approaching the target, his ship encountered heavy opposition from enemy flak and fighters which severely damaged his ship, and painfully wounded Lt. Wise in the hand and neck. While on the bombing run the squadron lead ship was unable to release its bombs and, immediately assuming the lead of his squadron, with great professional skill and outstanding leadership, despite being painfully wounded, Lt. Wise directed his bombs and those of his formation on the target in the face of continued enemy opposition. His personal courage and devotion to duty, as evidenced throughout fifty (50) combat missions, have reflected great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States of America."

Despite his wounds and the speedy last-minute changes, Don's bombing accuracy was apparently superb. On 19 June 1944, the Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Allied Air Force issued a commendation to the 463rd crews for their outstanding work on 13 and 14 June, 1944; specifically for their superb bombing accuracy.

The Commendation stated in part:

. . . "I have just studied carefully the strike and pru photographs of our valuable targets for the last two days. The accuracy of your bombing is tremendously impressive. It appears to me that your Air Force has never done two better days work."

Read Don Wise's Recollections of This Mission

C O N T E N T S:

Distinguished Flying Cross

"Pig Chaser" & Its Crew

The "Best Seat in the House"

List of 50 Missions

The Ploesti Campaign

---

Medals and Citations

From the Newspaper

About Don Wise

Links to Other Sites

Return to Home Page

[SandRat]

Coast Guard Air Crew
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross

SOS Coast Guard Rescue NIGHT FLIGHT on Discovery Channel
"Clearwater Coast Guard Air Station attempts a rescue inside Hurricane Katrina"

 
From left to right (first photo): Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenyon Bolton, rescue swimmer, Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Cain, flight mechanic, Lt (j.g.) David Sheppard, co-pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Craig Massello, pilot, Admiral Thomas H. Collins, Commandant, and Rear Admiral D. Brian Peterman.

The Coast Guard Commandant Awards the Crew
the U.S. Coast Guard Distinguished Flying Cross

CLEARWATER, FLA - Four members of a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater Jayhawk flight crew were awarded for a daring rescue that took place on Aug. 26, 2005. The crew was tasked with flying through the ferocious 85-knot winds and violent 40-foot seas of Hurricane Katrina to rescue three persons on the distressed fishing vessel Mary Lynn located only 10 miles from the eye of the hurricane, 210-nautical miles southwest of Air Station Clearwater.

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Tom Collins presented the Distinguished Flying Cross to Lt. Cmdr. Craig Massello, Lt. j.g. David Sheppard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Cain and Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenyon Bolton for their extraordinary heroism while participating in an aerial rescue.

[luvie]

Good work...good research, Sandy!

God bless all these heroes!

[SandRat]

US NAVY WWII Pilots of Torpedo Squadron 31 That Got the DFC

Lt. Edward E. Wood - Commanding Officer VT-31
Navy Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross


Lt. G. Packenham
Distinguished Flying Cross

Lt. (jg) John Russell
Navy Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart

Ens. Richard Mellin
Distinguished Flying Cross

Ens. L. O. Bacon
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Medal


Air Crewmen
PhoM1c Howard Webster Jr.
Navy and Marine Medal
Purple Heart

AMM2c Robert Drake
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

AMM2c Ira Bewley
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

AMM2c Warren Bennett
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart


Radiomen
ACRM Thomas Legett *
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

ARM2c Leslie Walters
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

ARM2c Cornelius Kelly
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross

Pilots assigned to VT-31 December 1944 for 2nd Tour of Duty

Lt. Carter L Wilson - Executive Officer VT-31
Navy Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Medal
Gold Star in Lieu of 2nd Air Medal
Gold Star in Lieu of 3rd Air Medal

[luvie]

Psssst....where'd everybody go? Did they stay on page one somehow? :D

[SandRat]

You're not going to believe this but, Mass. has a Distinguished Flying Cross Plate. That's right Mass. has a vehicle plate for those awarded the DFC.

[SandRat]

I'm waiting too.

[HiJinx]

Okay, The Gladiator is over now.
Time to see what's going on...

[SandRat]

FAMED KANSANS MEET--U.S. Vice President Charles Curtis from Kansas is shown here presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to Amelia Earhart by the U.S. Congress at Los Angeles on July 29, 1932. Gov. James Rolph (right) of California attended the ceremony which also dedicated the new state building in Los Angeles. Amelia was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross.