Awarded by any branch of the U.S. military to personnel who display heroism or perform an extraordinary achievement while onboard a plane flight. Created in 1942, with honors bestowed retroactively to 1939.
| Name | Occupation | Birth | Death | Known for |
|---|
| Keith B. Alexander |
Military |
1952 |
|
Director, National Security Agency |
| Joseph B. Anderson, Jr. |
Business |
c. 1943 |
|
TAG Holdings LLC |
| Dewey F. Bartlett |
Politician |
28-Mar-1919 |
1-Mar-1979 |
Governor and Senator from Oklahoma |
| Chuck Bednarik |
Football |
1-May-1925 |
|
Eagles Linebacker, Hall of Famer |
| Lloyd Bentsen, Jr. |
Politician |
11-Feb-1921 |
23-May-2006 |
US Senator, Treasury Secretary |
| John Blatnik |
Politician |
17-Aug-1911 |
17-Dec-1991 |
Congressman from Minnesota, 1947-75 |
| Henry Bloch |
Business |
30-Jul-1922 |
|
Co-Founder of H&R Bloch |
| Jerry Boykin |
Military |
c. 1949 |
|
Pentagon's resident Jesus freak |
| Edward Thomas Brady |
Judge |
1-Nov-1943 |
|
Justice, North Carolina Supreme Court |
| George S. Brown |
Military |
17-Aug-1918 |
5-Dec-1978 |
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1974-78 |
| Howard W. Cannon |
Politician |
26-Jan-1912 |
5-Mar-2002 |
US Senator from Nevada, 1959-83 |
| James R. Clapper |
Military |
c. 1941 |
|
Director of National Intelligence |
| Duke Cunningham |
Politician |
8-Dec-1941 |
|
Congressman from California, 1991-2005 |
| Bud Day |
Activist |
24-Feb-1925 |
|
Former POW |
| Nelson DeMille |
Novelist |
23-Aug-1943 |
|
The General's Daughter |
| Paul Dietzel |
Football |
5-Sep-1924 |
|
South Carolina Head Coach, 1966-74 |
| James Doolittle |
Aviator |
14-Dec-1896 |
27-Sep-1993 |
Doolittle Raid against Tokyo in 1942 |
| Tammy Duckworth |
Military |
12-Mar-1968 |
|
Blackhawk pilot, wounded in Iraq |
| Michael J. Dugan |
Military |
22-Feb-1937 |
|
USAF Chief of Staff, 1990 |
| Ralph E. Eberhart |
Military |
c. 1946 |
|
Commander of NORAD, 2002-05 |
| John Ehrlichman |
Government |
20-Mar-1925 |
14-Feb-1999 |
Watergate criminal, served time |
| Larry R. Ellis |
Business |
1946 |
|
US Army Forces Command, 2001-04 |
| William J. Fallon |
Military |
30-Dec-1944 |
|
C-in-C, US Central Command, 2007-08 |
| Ronald R. Fogleman |
Military |
27-Jan-1942 |
|
USAF Chief of Staff, 1994-97 |
| Frederick M. Franks, Jr. |
Military |
c. 1935 |
|
Retired US Army General |
| Tommy Franks |
Military |
17-Jun-1945 |
|
Former C-in-C, US Central Command |
| Charles A. Gabriel |
Military |
21-Jan-1928 |
4-Sep-2003 |
USAF Chief of Staff, 1982-86 |
| Jay Garner |
Military |
15-Apr-1938 |
|
Ex-Director of Reconstruction of Iraq |
| Benjamin A. Gilman |
Politician |
6-Dec-1922 |
|
Congressman from New York, 1973-2003 |
| John Glenn |
Astronaut |
18-Jul-1921 |
|
First American to orbit earth |
| Nathan Green Gordon |
Politician |
4-Sep-1916 |
8-Sep-2008 |
Lt. Governor of Arkansas, 1947-67 |
| J. Scott Gration |
Military |
? |
|
Major General, USAF (Ret.) |
| Bo Gritz |
Military |
18-Jan-1939 |
|
Former Green Beret |
| John Paul Hammerschmidt |
Politician |
4-May-1922 |
|
Congressman from Arkansas, 1967-93 |
| Thomas B. Hayward |
Military |
3-May-1924 |
|
Chief of Naval Operations, 1978-82 |
| Don Herbert |
TV Personality |
10-Jul-1917 |
12-Jun-2007 |
Mr. Wizard |
| Robert T. Herres |
Military |
12-Jan-1932 |
24-Jul-2008 |
Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs, 1987-90 |
| James L. Holloway III |
Military |
23-Feb-1922 |
|
Chief of Naval Operations, 1974-78 |
| John R. Hubbard |
Educator |
3-Dec-1918 |
21-Aug-2011 |
President of USC, 1970-80 |
| Jay L. Johnson |
Military |
5-Jun-1946 |
|
US Chief of Naval Operations, 1996-2000 |
| Sam Johnson |
Politician |
11-Oct-1930 |
|
Congressman, Texas 3rd |
| George A. Joulwan |
Military |
16-Nov-1939 |
|
Supreme Allied Commander, 1993-97 |
| John P. Jumper |
Military |
4-Feb-1945 |
|
USAF Chief of Staff, 2001-05 |
| Brian Keith |
Actor |
14-Nov-1921 |
24-Jun-1997 |
Uncle Bill on Family Affair |
| Robert M. Kimmitt |
Diplomat |
19-Dec-1947 |
|
US Deputy Treasury Secretary |
| Adam Kinzinger |
Politician |
27-Feb-1978 |
|
Congressman, Illinois 11th |
| Robert Kiyosaki |
Author |
8-Apr-1947 |
|
Rich Dad, Poor Dad |
| Norman Lear |
Film/TV Producer |
27-Jul-1922 |
|
Creator of All in the Family |
| Curtis LeMay |
Military |
15-Nov-1906 |
1-Oct-1990 |
USAF General |
| Ben F. Love |
Business |
1924 |
13-Jan-2006 |
CEO of Texas Commerce Bank |
| William Lyon |
Military |
9-Mar-1923 |
|
Chief of USAF Reserve, 1975-79 |
| Douglas MacArthur |
Military |
26-Jan-1880 |
5-Apr-1964 |
General of the Army |
| Delbert Mann |
Film Director |
30-Jan-1920 |
11-Nov-2007 |
That Touch of Mink |
| John P. McConnell |
Military |
7-Feb-1908 |
21-Nov-1986 |
USAF Chief of Staff, 1965-69 |
| James A. McDivitt |
Astronaut |
10-Jun-1929 |
|
Commander, Gemini 4 and Apollo 9 |
| Wesley L. McDonald |
Military |
6-Jul-1924 |
8-Feb-2008 |
Led 1983 invasion of Grenada |
| Thomas McInerney |
Military |
1937 |
|
Fox News military analyst |
| Merrill A. McPeak |
Military |
9-Jan-1936 |
|
USAF Chief of Staff, 1990-94 |
| Evan Mecham |
Politician |
12-May-1924 |
22-Feb-2008 |
Governor of Arizona, 1987-88 |
| Harlan E. Mitchell |
Politician |
17-Aug-1924 |
13-Sep-2011 |
Congressman from Georgia, 1958-61 |
| Richard Myers |
Military |
1-Mar-1942 |
|
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2001-05 |
| Lloyd W. Newton |
Military |
26-Jun-1942 |
|
USAF General |
| Jim Nicholson |
Government |
4-Feb-1938 |
|
US Secretary of Veterans Affairs |
| Lauris Norstad |
Military |
24-Mar-1907 |
12-Sep-1988 |
Supreme Allied Commander, 1956-63 |
| Donald G. Nutter |
Politician |
28-Nov-1915 |
25-Jan-1962 |
Governor of Montana, 1961-62 |
| Fred Olivi |
Military |
16-Jan-1922 |
8-Apr-2004 |
Co-pilot of Nagasaki bombing |
| James W. Pardew |
Diplomat |
5-Feb-1944 |
|
US Ambassador to Bulgaria, 2002-05 |
| Bradford W. Parkinson |
Engineer |
16-Feb-1935 |
|
Global Positioning System |
| Stanford E. Parris |
Politician |
9-Sep-1929 |
27-Mar-2010 |
Congressman from Virginia, 1981-91 |
| James B. Peake |
Government |
18-Jun-1944 |
|
US Secretary of Veterans Affairs |
| Steve Pearce |
Politician |
24-Aug-1947 |
|
Congressman, New Mexico 2nd |
| Tom Poston |
Actor |
17-Oct-1921 |
30-Apr-2007 |
Handyman on Newhart |
| Joseph W. Ralston |
Military |
4-Nov-1943 |
|
Supreme Allied Commander, 2000-03 |
| Hugh G. Robinson |
Military |
4-Aug-1932 |
|
CEO of Global Building Systems |
| John D. Ryan |
Military |
10-Dec-1915 |
27-Oct-1983 |
USAF Chief of Staff, 1969-73 |
| John R. Ryan |
Military |
15-Aug-1945 |
|
Chancellor of SUNY, 2006-07 |
| Robert Scales |
Military |
5-Aug-1944 |
|
Military analyst |
| Willard W. Scott, Jr. |
Military |
18-Feb-1926 |
1-Jan-2009 |
Superintendent of West Point, 1981-86 |
| Eric Shinseki |
Military |
28-Nov-1942 |
|
US Secretary of Veterans Affairs |
| John K. Singlaub |
Military |
10-Jul-1921 |
|
US Army general, CIA operative |
| C. R. Smith |
Business |
9-Sep-1899 |
4-Apr-1990 |
CEO of American Airlines, 1934-68 |
| Denny Smith |
Politician |
19-Jan-1938 |
|
Congressman from Oregon, 1981-91 |
| Neal Smith |
Politician |
23-Mar-1920 |
|
Congressman from Iowa, 1959-95 |
| Carl A. Spaatz |
Military |
28-Jun-1891 |
14-Jul-1974 |
USAF Chief of Staff, 1947-48 |
| Ted Stevens |
Politician |
18-Nov-1923 |
10-Aug-2010 |
US Senator from Alaska, 1968-2009 |
| Jimmy Stewart |
Actor |
20-May-1908 |
2-Jul-1997 |
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington |
| William J. Sullivan |
Judge |
12-Mar-1939 |
|
Senior Justice, Connecticut Supreme Court |
| Bruce Sundlun |
Politician |
19-Jan-1920 |
21-Jul-2011 |
Governor of Rhode Island, 1991-95 |
| Orson Swindle |
Government |
8-Mar-1937 |
|
Federal Trade Commissioner, 1997-2005 |
| Norman Thagard |
Astronaut |
3-Jul-1943 |
|
Shuttle astronaut |
| Paul Tibbets |
Military |
23-Feb-1915 |
1-Nov-2007 |
Pilot of the Enola Gay |
| William Tunner |
Military |
14-Jul-1906 |
6-Apr-1983 |
Organized the Berlin Airlift |
| Nathan F. Twining |
Military |
11-Oct-1897 |
29-Mar-1982 |
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1957-60 |
| Jack Valenti |
Business |
5-Sep-1921 |
26-Apr-2007 |
Presidential advisor, headed the MPAA |
| Hoyt Vandenberg |
Government |
24-Jan-1899 |
2-Apr-1954 |
CIA Director, 1946-47 |
| John D. Vanderhoof |
Politician |
27-May-1922 |
|
Governor of Colorado, 1973-75 |
| Larry D. Welch |
Military |
9-Jun-1934 |
|
USAF Chief of Staff, 1986-90 |
| Thomas D. White |
Military |
6-Aug-1901 |
22-Dec-1965 |
USAF Chief of Staff, 1957-61 |
| John A. Wickham, Jr. |
Military |
25-Jun-1928 |
|
US Army Chief of Staff, 1983-87 |
| Frank J. Williams |
Judge |
24-Aug-1940 |
|
Rhode Island Chief Justice |
| Ted Williams |
Baseball |
30-Aug-1918 |
5-Jul-2002 |
Cryonically preserved .400 hitter |
| Cal Worthington |
Business |
27-Nov-1920 |
|
Will eat a bug to make a deal |
| Howard Zinn |
Historian |
24-Aug-1922 |
27-Jan-2010 |
A People's History of the United States |
