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The Distinguished Flying Cross was authorized by Act of Congress on
July 2, 1926 (Amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938). President
Coolidge presented the first Distinguished Flying Cross medal 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 exciting flight to and from the North Pole. 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. |
