Statement of Heritage & The DFC Society’s Vision Statement
The Distinguished Flying Cross medal is awarded to aviators and aircrew for heroism or extraordinary achievement during aerial flight, the Distinguished Flying Cross is the only medal conferred by all five military services, in all wars and campaigns from World War I to the present.
Unfortunately, the government did not keep a cumulative record of DFC recipients, therefore no one knows how many have been awarded or to whom. We do know that the first Distinguished Flying Cross award citations were presented to the Army Air Corps crews of the 1926-27 Pan American Goodwill Flight on 2 May, 1927 by President Coolidge, for their five ship, 22,000 mile flight.
President Coolidge presented the first Distinguished Flying Cross medal, on 11 June, 1927, to Captain Charles A. Lindbergh of the Army Corps Reserve for his solo flight of 3600 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, a feat which electrified the world and “Lindy” one of America’s most popular heroes. The first Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to a Navy man was to Commander Richard E. Byrd of the Navy Air Corps for his flight across the Atlantic in the aircraft America in June 1927, not for his exciting flight to and from the North Pole as is widely reported. Both of these famous aviators also received the Medal of Honor. The aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. At the time hers was the first such award to a civilian. An executive order in March 1927 ruled that the Distinguished Flying Cross should not be conferred on civilians.
Our Society was not founded until 1994 and is composed of DFC recipients who either joined the Society or whose loved ones made them members posthumously and their names are listed on our Honor Roll in perpetuity. The names listed in red have a hotlink that when clicked on will display that members’ DFC citation.
The Distinguished Flying Cross Society is pleased to award four $1000.00 scholarshipseach school year. Applicants must be descendants (or legally adopted children) of DFC Society members who are pursuing an undergraduate degree at an accredited institution of higher education.
If you need to request military records or medal replacements follow the link. You can print a membership application or sign our Guestbook, read our latest DFC News Magazine or view pictures of memorial dedications or past reunions on-line.
For those members who would like to have their DFC Minute professionally done by our Historian Dr. Barry Lanman please contact him directly.
View the remarks to The Distinguished Flying Cross Society and San Diego Air & Space Museum attendees, by The Honorable Anthony J. Principi, Honorary Member of The Distinguished Flying Cross Society.
Our Vision Statement
Through the development of a strong national organization and active regional chapters, the Distinguished Flying Cross Society will:
- Educate the general public about the Distinguished Flying Cross and the ways in which recipients impacted the course of American history by documenting, publishing, disseminating and preserving its history and heritage
- Promote fraternity and fellowship among Distinguished Flying Cross recipients of all services, ranks, genders and races
- Promote philanthropic endeavors supporting American values and ideals associated with the Distinguished Flying Cross Society
- Acquire funding from internal and external sources in order to accomplish the mission, the vision and the goals of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.