| Share |
| Share |
For "Extraordinary Heroism in Connection with Military Operations Against an Opposing Armed Force." Established 1918.
Many of the high-scoring USAAF aces in World War Two (Gabreski, Johnson, Preddy, Meyer, MacDonald, Robbins, Voll, et al) earned a DSC. After the Air Force became a separate service, the Air Force Cross replaced the DSC for airmen.
Army Air Corps ace George "Wheaties" Welch received the DSC for his actions at Pearl Harbor:
"He immediately, on his own initiative, took off ... armed only with 30-caliber machine guns. [When] he observed a formation of approximately 12 planes ... he attacked and shot down an enemy dive bomber with one burst from three guns. At this point he discovered that one gun was jammed [and] his plane was hit by an incendiary bullet, which passed through the baggage compartment just in rear of his seat." Welch shot down another plane before he ran low on fuel. He landed at Wheeler Field to refuel and replenish his ammunition, then "immediately took off, headed straight into the attack [of a second wave of 15 planes] to the assistance of a brother officer who was being attacked from the rear." Welch shot down at least four planes that day even though his plane had "bullets striking his motor, propeller and cowling."
Many other high-scoring aces in WW2 received the DSC, among them: Francis "Gabby" Gabreski, Robert S. Johnson, George Preddy, Bud Mahurin, Charles MacDonald, and Jay T. Robbins, whom you can read about at the linked articles.
Original World War Two Distinguished Service Crosses (not replicas)
have sold on Ebay for $50, $100, or more.
The following description of the Distinguished Service Cross is courtesy of the U.S. Army's
Institute of Heraldry.
1. Description: A cross of
bronze, 2 inches in height and 1
13/16 inches in width with an eagle on the center and a scroll below
the eagle bearing the
inscription "FOR VALOR". On the reverse side, the center of the cross
is circled
by a wreath with a space for engraving the name of the recipient. 2. Ribbon: The ribbon is 1
3/8 inches wide and consists of the
following stripes: 1/8 inch Old Glory Red 67156; 1/16 inch White 67101;
1 inch Imperial
Blue 67175; 1 1/16 inch White; and 1/8 inch Old Glory Red. 3. CRITERIA: The
Distinguished Service Cross is awarded to a
person who, while serving in any capacity with the Army, distinguishes
himself or herself
by extraordinary heroism not justifying the award of a Medal of Honor;
while engaged in an
action against an enemy of the Unites States; while engaged in military
operations
involving conflict with an opposing/foreign force; or while serving
with friendly foreign
forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing Armed Force in
which the United
States is not a belligerent party. The act or acts of heroism must have
been so notable
and have involved risk of life so extraordinary as to set the
individual apart from his or
her comrades. 4. Components: The following
are authorized components of the
Distinguished Service Cross:
a. Decoration (regular
size): MIL-D-3943/4. NSN 8455-00-269-5745 for decoration set. NSN
8455-00-246-3827 for
individual replacement medal.
b. Decoration (miniature
size): MIL-D-3943/4. NSN 8455-00-996-50007.
c. Ribbon: MIL-R-11589/50.
NSN 8455-00-252-9919.
d. Lapel Button (metal
replica of ribbon bar): MIL-L-11484/1. NSN 8455-00-253-0808.
5. BACKGROUND: a. The
Distinguished Service Cross was
established by President Woodrow Wilson on January 2, 1918. General
Pershing,
Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Forces in France, had
recommended that recognition
other than the Medal of Honor, be authorized for the Armed Forces of
the United States for
service rendered, in like manner, to that awarded by the European
Armies. The request for
establishment of the medal was forwarded from the Secretary of War to
the President in a
letter dated December 28, 1917. The Act of Congress establishing this
award (193-65th
Congress) dated July 9, 1918 is contained in Title 10 United States
Code (USC) 3742. The
establishment of the Distinguished Service Cross was promulgated in War
Department General
Order No. 6, dated January 12, 1918.
b. The first design of the
Distinguished Service Cross was cast and manufactured by the United
States Mint at
Philadelphia. The die was cast from the approved design prepared by
Lieutenant Aymar E.
Embry, Engineers Officer Reserve Corps. Upon examination of the first
medals struck at the
Mint, it was considered advisable to make certain minor changes to add
to the beauty and
the attractiveness of the medal. Due to the importance of the time
element involved in
furnishing the decorations to General Pershing, one hundred of the
medals were struck from
the original design and numbered 1 to 100. These medals were furnished
with the provision
that these crosses be replaced when the supply of the second design was
accomplished which
would also be numbered 1 to 100.
c. Title 10, USC 3991,
provides for a 10% increase in retired pay for enlisted personnel who
have retired with
more than 20 years of service if they have been awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross.
d. Order of precedence and
wear of decorations is contained in Army Regulation (AR) 670-1. Policy
for awards,
approving authority, supply, and issue of decorations is contained in
AR 600-8-22. Questions? Check the FAQ
Copyright 2009, by Acepilots.com. All rights reserved.
AcePilots Main Page