Distinguished Flying Cross ( United States ) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by " heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight , subsequent to November 11 , 1918 . " History . The Distinguished Flying Cross was authorized by Section 12 of the Air Corps Act enacted by the United States Congress on July 2 , 1926 , as amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8 , 1938 . The first award of the Distinguished Flying Cross was made by President Calvin Coolidge on May 2 , 1927 , to ten aviators of the Air Corps who had participated in the U . S . Army Pan American Flight , which took place from December 21 , 1926 to May 2 , 1927 . Two of the airmen died in a mid - air collision trying to land at Buenos Aires on February 26 , 1927 , and received their awards posthumously . Since the award had only been authorized by Congress the previous year , no medals had yet been struck , and the Pan American airmen initially received only certificates . Among the ten airmen were Major Herbert A . Dargue , Captains Ira C . Eaker and Muir S . Fairchild , and 1st Lt . Ennis C . Whitehead . Charles Lindbergh received the first presentation of the medal little more than a month later , from Coolidge during the Washington , D . C . homecoming reception on June 11 , 1927 , from his trans - Atlantic flight . The medal had hurriedly been struck and readied just for that occasion . Interestingly , the 1927 War Department General Order ( G . O . 8 ) , authorizing Lindbergh ' s DFC states that it was awarded by the President , while the General Order ( G . O . 6 ) for the Pan American Flyers ' DFC citation notes that the War Department awarded it " by direction of the President . " The first Distinguished Flying Cross to be awarded to a Naval Aviator was received by then - Commander Richard E . Byrd , for his flight on May 9 , 1926 , to and from the North Pole . Both Lindbergh and Byrd also received the Medal of Honor for their feats . Numerous military recipients of the medal would later earn greater fame in other occupations — several astronauts , actors and politicians ( including former President George H . W . Bush ) are Distinguished Flying Cross holders . DFC awards could be retroactive to cover notable achievements back until the beginning of World War I . On February 23 , 1929 , Congress passed special legislation to allow the award of the DFC to the Wright brothers for their December 17 , 1903 flight . Other civilians who have received the award include Wiley Post , Jacqueline Cochran , Roscoe Turner , Amelia Earhart , and Eugene Ely . Eventually , it was limited to military personnel by an Executive Order issued by President Coolidge . During World War II the medal ' s award criteria varied widely depending on the theater of operations , aerial combat , and the missions accomplished . In the Pacific often times commissioned officers were awarded the DFC , while enlisted men were given the Air Medal . In Europe some bomber crews , often the sole survivors of their wing or group , received it for completing a tour of duty of twenty - five sortees ; elsewhere different criteria were used . 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 . Colonel Francis S . " Gabby " Gabreski , USAF , received 13 Distinguished Flying Crosses — the most earned by any individual . He is followed by Admiral Stan Arthur , USN , with 11 DFCs . Design . The Distinguished Flying Cross was designed by Elizabeth Will and Arthur E . DuBois . The medal has a bronze cross pattee , with rays between the arms of the cross . On its obverse is the image of a propeller with four blades , with one blade in each arm of the cross . In the re - entrant angles of the cross are rays that form a square . The cross is suspended by a rectanglular bar and centered on this is a plain shield . The reverse is blank , and it is suitable for engraving the winner ' s name and rank . The suspension and service ribbon of the medal 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 . Additional awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross are shown with oak leaf cluster s for the Air Force and the Army , and by 5 / 16 inch star s for the Navy , the Marine Corps , and the Coast Guard . The Air Force , Navy , and Marine Corps , may authorize the " V " device for wear to denote valor in combat . In the Army , the Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded exclusively for heroism in combat whereas the other services can award the medal for " extraordinary achievement " . The " V " device is not authorized to be worn by the Army .