Friday's Faces From the Past: Fred Pape's Distinguished Flying Cross, 1953

My dad, Air Force 2nd Lieutenant Fred Pape. received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his service in Korea.

Here is some information about the Distinguished Flying Cross from the Air Force web site:

Background

The Distinguished Flying Cross, authorized by an Act of Congress of July 2, 1926 (amended by Executive Order 7786 on January 8, 1938), was awarded first to Captain Charles A. Lindbergh, of the U.S. Army Corps Reserve, for his solo flight of 3,600 miles across the Atlantic in 1927, a feat which electrified the world and made Lindy one of America's most popular heroes.

Criteria
This medal is awarded to any officer or enlisted person of the Armed Forces of the United States who shall have distinguished her/himself in actual combat in support of operations by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918.

Distinguished Flying Cross,
illustrated by Virginia Reyes of the Air Force News Agency

Medal Description
The Distinguished Flying Cross was designed by Elizabeth Will and Arthur E. DuBois. It is a bronze cross pattee, with rays between the arms of the cross. On the obverse is a propeller of four blades, with one blade in each arm of the cross and in the re-entrant angles of the cross are rays which form a square. The cross is suspended by a rectangular-shaped bar and centered on this is a plain shield. The reverse is blank and suitable for engraving the recipient's name and rank.

Ribbon Description
The ribbon 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.

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ETA 22 February 2024:  My nephew Nick just asked what the story was behind my father, his grandfather, getting this medal.  I just looked through Dad's military papers and found the citation:

"By direction of the President, Second Lieutenant FREDERICK H. PAPE, AO-2223540, United States Air Force, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

C I T A T I O N

Second Lieutenant FREDERICK H. PAPE distinguished himself by extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight over enemy held North Korea on 6 January 1953.  Flying as navigator-bombardier of a B-26 type aircraft, 17th Bombardment Wing Light, Fifth Air Force, engaged in a night interdiction mission, Lieutenant PAPE displayed outstanding bombing and navigation skill.  In the vicinity of Singosan, Korea, a large convoy was sighted.  Four bombing attacks were initiated which caused seven secondary explosions and destroyed twenty-five vehicles.  These attacks were pressed over hazardous mountain terrain despite intense fire from many automatic weapons and were continued until all ordnance was expended.  As a result of this highly successful mission vital many supplies and transportation facilities were destroyed.  by his high personal courage and devotion to duty, Lieutenant PAPE brought great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force."

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