Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-02
CROSS |SAWARDED
LIEUT.. DOOL|TTLE
Flyer Who Was First to Cross
U. S. in One Day Will
Be Honored.

Lieut.. James H. Doolittle, Army Air
Corps, who is regarded by aeronautical
people as one of the worlds 10 great
est pilots. will receive the Distinguished
Flying Cross with an oak leaf cluster
for his feat seven years ago of making
the first flight across the United States
in a single day.
Announcement of the award was
made today by the War Department,
but no date has been set for the formal
presentation. The War Department also
tinguished Flying Cross to Lieut. Harry
A. Sutton, Army Air Corps, for ex-
tremely hazardous work in determining
the causes of spins in the Oh Army
observation plane.
Lieut.. Doolittle made the transcon-
tinental flight in 1922 from Pablo
Beach. Fla, to San Diego, Calf, in
221a hours. with a single refueling stop.
The citation accompanying the cross
characterizes the flight as IAN extra
ordinary achievement with the equip
ment available at that time"
Feat Aid to Service.
by his skill. endurance and re-
sourcefulness,' the citation continues.
che demonstrated the possibility OF
moving Air Corps units in any portion
Of the United States in less than "a
hours, thus rejecting great credit on
himself and the Army of the United
States"
Lieut.. Doolittle will receive the oak
leaf cluster for flying tests of an Army
pursuit plane involving great personal
hazard. I'm these tests" the citation
reads, "the airplane was put through
the most extreme maneuverS possible in
order that the flight loads imposed upon
the wings of the airplane under extreme
conditions of air combat might be
through with that fine combination of
fearlessness and skill which constitutes
the essence of distinguished flying"
Lieut.. Doolittle was the first pilot
in the world to execute the hazardous
and difficult outside loop" which only
a half dozen flyers have ever made. He
made the first loop at McCook Field,
Dayton, Ohio, in May, 1927. For years
he has been known as one of the worlds
most daring acrobatic flyers, sharing
honors in this respect only with Lieut..
"Al" Williams, U. S. N.
Winner of Cup Race.
Lieut. Doolittle was winner of the
Schneider Cup race at Baltimore in
1925. He and Lieut.. Cyrus Belts won
the Mackay Trophy for 1925.
Willie dI MCSUUh T IclO TIC WO1hCu
with Capt. Alfred w. Stevens. the
Army's most noted aerial photographer,
on extreme altitude work. They made
many flights to great heights, includ-
ing one to $4,000 feet.
Several years ago Lieut.. Doolittle was
sent to South America to promote avia-
ton. While there he had both ankles
fractured in forced landing. Despite
his injuries he flew, with both legs in
heavy plaster casts, on one of the first
dangerous Andes Mountains.
Lieut.. Doolittle now is stationed at
Mitchell Field, N. Y, directing the ex-
periments of the Daniel Guggenheim
Fund for the Promotion of AeronauticS
in fog flying. This work also is exceed
ingly hazardous, involving flights in
heavy fogs to determine the value of
new types of instruments and radio
control for blind" flying.
Plans South America Trip.
Lieut.. Doolittle now is preparing for
another flight to South America In an
Army fighting plane.
Lieut.. Sutton was awarded the cross
for flights made at Santa Monica,
Calf, in December, 1926. The cita-
ton states that Lieut.. Sutton, Eat
great personal hazard. piloted an o.
airplane in tests to determine the spin
ming characteristics of this type of
plane, which resulted in invaluable
data being made available to airplane
designers. This test was voluntary
and above the call of duty and re-
f1ected great credit on the Air Corps
and the Army of the United States"