In God We Trust
This is an incomplete list of recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross medal, awarded for exceptional service in (or related to) Korea after the Korean War. To contribute missing information, contact us.
Headquarters, Department of the Army
General Orders No. 33 - 12 June 1962
Chief Warrant Officer Thomas P. Lundgren, W3150442, Transportation Corps, United States Army, a member of the 15th Transportation Detachment, 1st Cavalry Division, distinguished himself by heroism while participating in aerial flight on 26 February 1962, in Korea. Warrant Officer Lundgren was the pilot of an H-19C Chickasaw helicopter carrying a co-pilot and five passengers. In an attempt to land the helicopter at a helipad in mountainous terrain, the anti-torque mechanism suddenly failed and the aircraft began to vibrate violently at approximately one hundred feet above the ground. As the helicopter settled earthward, directional control was lost and the aircraft started to turn away from the helipad into a wooded area. In this sudden emergency, Warrant Officer Lundgren demonstrated outstanding technical competence, sound judgment, and presence of mind. Despite the extreme difficulty in maintaining control of the helicopter, he succeeded in maneuvering its tailboom against a tree, thereby stabilizing the aircraft, and preventing it from completely spinning out of control. After assuring that his passengers were evacuated and a safe distance away, he then attempted to save the helicopter by hover-taxiing it to the helipad. When the tailboom became dislodged from the tree, the helicopter rotated violently, became completely uncontrollable, crashed, and immediately burst into flames. When the aircraft crashed, the co-pilot was trapped on the flight deck. Warrant Officer Lundgren assisted him to safety through the pilot's emergency exit, then evacuated himself before the burning aircraft became completely engulfed by flames. Warrant Officer Lundren's complete disregard for his own personal safety, quick thinking, and courageous action saved the lives of his passengers and co-pilot and reflects the utmost credit on himself and the military service. (This award supersedes the previous award of the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious achievement on 26 February 1962, as announced in General Orders Number 46, dated 2 April 1962, Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division, APO 24, San Francisco, California.)
General Orders: Permanent Order 008-16 (January 8, 2009)
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Captain Kevin Michael Norman, United States Army, for heroism during aerial flight on 12 August 2003, while serving as Commander, Company A, 6th Battalion, 52d Aviation Regiment, 17th Aviation Brigade, Seoul Air Base, Korea. Through great courage and incredible flying skills, Captain Norman was able to prevent his disabled aircraft from crashing into a Korean village, saving the lives of an untold number of local national civilians. Captain Norman's heroic actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the 17th Aviation Brigade, the Eighth United States Army, and the United States Army.
Narrative to Accompany Award: Captain Kevin M. Norman, United States Army, distinguished himself by exceptionally heroic actions and extraordinary flying achievement while participating in aerial flight in service to the United States as Commander, A Company, 6th Battalion, 52d Aviation Regiment, 17th Aviation Brigade, Seoul Air Base, Korea, on 12 August 2003. Captain Norman was flying a C-12 Huron on a routine maintenance test flight from Seoul Airbase, Korea when the plane encountered mechanical problems. He and his co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer 3 David W. Snow heroically struggled to keep the failing aircraft from crashing into the homes of the local national population, saving the lives and property of the people of Kongse-Ri. Several witnesses, including Lee Chae-Soo, a local Korean property owner, said the pilots purposely steered the disabled aircraft away from the homes in the community. Chae-Soo was quoted as saying, "I'm thankful for those pilots, as I feel they sacrificed themselves to protect the residential area." Despite the plane being on fire, the witnesses say it changed course and maneuvered away from the village. Lieutenant General Charles C. Campbell, the Commander of 8th United States Army at the time of the incident, said in an official press release, "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families of these two heroic aviators who did everything they could to prevent civilian casualties." Captain Norman demonstrated incredible courage and fortitude during this chaotic and terrifying accident. His thoughts and actions put the lives of others above his own. The people of Kongse-Ri are extremely grateful for his incredible flying skills and heroic actions that saved their lives. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the 17th Aviation Brigade, the 8th United States Army, and the United States Army.