List of most famous Distinguished Flying Cross recipients since its inception. Photos are included for almost every Distinguished Flying Cross medal winner. Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross in every year are listed here alphabetically, but you can sort this Distinguished Flying Cross list by any column. Here are also notable Bronze Star Medal recipients as well as famous Purple Heart winners.
List features Bernard W. Rogers, Bud Day, and more notable US airmen. Featuring civilian DFC winners, WWII winners, and more, this list has it all.
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1
Adrian Cole
Air Vice Marshal Adrian Lindley Trevor Cole, CBE, DSO, MC, DFC (19 June 1895 – 14 February 1966) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Joining the army at the outbreak of... more2
Alan Smith
Sir Alan Smith, CBE, DFC*, was a British World War II Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire fighter ace and businessman.... more- 3William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an American film actor who is often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He began his career as an extra in Hollywood silent films... more
- 4Andrew Frederick Weatherby (Anthony) Beauchamp-Proctor, (4 September 1894 – 21 June 1921) was a South African airman and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the... more
- 5Bernard William Rogers (July 16, 1921 – October 27, 2008) was a United States Army general who served as the 28th Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and later as NATO's Supreme Allied... more
- 6William Avery Bishop, (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace of the First World War. He was officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British... more
- 7
Brian Lane
Squadron Leader Brian "Sandy" Lane DFC, was a British Battle of Britain fighter pilot and author. Born in Pannal, Harrogate, England, Lane grew up in Pinner before entering the RAF in 1936. He was... more - 8George Everette "Bud" Day (24 February 1925 – 27 July 2013) was a United States Air Force officer, aviator, and veteran of World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. He was also a prisoner of war,... more
- 9Buzz Aldrin (born January 20, 1930) is an American engineer and a former astronaut and fighter pilot. Aldrin made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission, and as the Apollo Lunar... more
- 10Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, explorer, and environmental activist, and a spokesperson for the American... more
- 11George Herbert Walker Bush (June 12, 1924 – November 30, 2018) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 and the 43rd vice... more
- 12Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912) was the older of the two Wright brothers (the other being Orville), two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful... more
- 13Amelia Mary Earhart (, born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937) was an American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set... more
- 14
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer and creator of the original Star Trek television series, and its first spin-off The... more - 15
Christopher Quintin Brand
Air Vice Marshal Sir Christopher Joseph Quintin Brand (25 May 1893 – 7 March 1968) was a South African officer of the Royal Air Force.... more - 16
Orville Wright
Orville Wright, 1871 - 1948 Orville Wright was born in 1871 in Dayton, Ohio. He is less well known than his older brother, Wilbur, but had as much influence in the creation of the first airplane as... more - 17Charles Elwood Yeager (February 13, 1923 – December 7, 2020) was a former United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot. In 1947, he became the first pilot confirmed to... more
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Clive Caldwell
Clive Robertson Caldwell, (28 July 1911 – 5 August 1994) was the leading Australian air ace of World War II. He is officially credited with shooting down 28.5 enemy aircraft in over 300 operational... more - 19David Haskell Hackworth (November 11, 1930 – May 4, 2005) also known as Hack, was a prominent military journalist and a former United States Army colonel who was decorated in both the Korean War and... more
- 20Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, (; 21 February 1910 – 5 September 1982) was a Royal Air Force flying ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four... more
- 21General of the Army Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964) was an American five-star general and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army... more
- 22Daniel Hale "Dan" Rowan (July 22, 1922 – September 22, 1987) was an American comedian. He was featured in the television show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, wherein he played straight man to Dick Martin... more
- 23General Earl Edward Anderson (June 24, 1919 – November 12, 2015) was an American Marine Corps general. The youngest active duty Marine ever promoted to the rank of general and the first active duty... more
- 24Forrest Silas Petersen (May 16, 1922 – December 8, 1990), (VADM, USN), was a United States Navy aviator and test pilot. He was one of twelve pilots who flew the North American X-15, an experimental... more
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Geoffrey Allard
Geoffrey "Sammy" Allard & Bar (12 August 1912 – 13 March 1941) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) flying ace of the Second World War. Allard scored 19 victories against enemy aircraft, as well as five... more
