Distinguished Flying Cross

noun

1
: a British military decoration awarded for acts of gallantry when flying in operations against an enemy
2
: a U.S. military decoration awarded for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight

Examples of Distinguished Flying Cross in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
His military honors included the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 13 July 2024 In 1927: President Calvin Coolidge gave Charles Lindbergh the first Distinguished Flying Cross three weeks after Lindbergh’s historic nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 11 June 2024 Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, left Oakland on May 20, 1937 in her two-engine Lockheed Electra 10E plane, accompanied by Fred Noonan, her navigator. David R. Cameron, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2024 His honors included the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, the Presidential Citizens Medal and two NASA Distinguished Service Medals. Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 An aerial gunner and assistant flight engineer, Sergeant McMullen was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service with the 14th Air Force’s 308th Bomber Group (Heavy), which flew B-24 Liberators in support of Chinese ground forces. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Nov. 2023 As a flight officer, Kraft received the Distinguished Flying Cross during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s for combat missions flown off an aircraft carrier — the Midway. John Wilkens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2023 Holder was awarded two Distinguished Flying Cross Medals, six Air Medals, a Presidential Citation, and six Commendation Medals throughout his Navy career before being honorably discharged in 1948, according to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2023 He’s credited for shooting down nine German planes and was awarded both a Purple Heart and a Distinguished Flying Cross. Olivia Morley, ajc, 5 June 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Distinguished Flying Cross was in 1918

Dictionary Entries Near Distinguished Flying Cross

Cite this Entry

“Distinguished Flying Cross.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Distinguished%20Flying%20Cross. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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