[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 46 (Tuesday, April 25, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E576-E577]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE LAS VEGAS WINGS CHAPTER OF THE DISTINGUISHED 
                          FLYING CROSS SOCIETY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JON. C. PORTER

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 25, 2006

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the contributions of a 
special group of American heroes, those that have received the 
Distinguished Flying Cross. I honor them today for their service and 
dedication to our great Nation.
  The Distinguished Flying Cross was authorized by an act of Congress 
on July 2, 1926 and is awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the 
Armed Forces who has distinguished themselves during combat in support 
of operations by ``heroism or extraordinary achievement while 
participating in an aerial flight.''
  Since its creation the Distinguished Flying Cross has been awarded to 
some of America's greatest aviators and serves as a reminder of their 
heroic actions. This prestigious medal was first awarded to Charles A. 
Lindbergh, of the U.S. Army Corps Reserve, for his solo flight of 3,600 
miles across the Atlantic in 1927. The first Distinguished Flying

[[Page E577]]

Cross to be awarded to a naval aviator was awarded to Richard E. Byrd, 
of the U.S. Navy Air Corps, for his flight to the North Pole. The 
contributions of these great aviators and those that followed are 
honored by this prestigious award.
  In 1994 the Distinguished Flying Cross Society was formed as a 
nonprofit organization whose members have been awarded the 
Distinguished Flying Cross. The society has established scholarships 
and benefits for organizations and individuals throughout the Nation 
that are seeking to make advances in aviation.
  In February of this year the Distinguished Flying Cross Society 
officially recognized a new chapter, the Las Vegas Wings Chapter in 
Southern Nevada. The great State of Nevada is home to more than 260,000 
veterans many of which have been awarded the Distinguished Flying 
Cross. As a Member of Congress and a Nevadan, I would like to extend a 
heartfelt welcome, to the Las Vegas Wings Chapter, of the Distinguished 
Flying Cross Society.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and heartfelt gratitude that I 
salute these great American heroes and the Las Vegas Wings Chapter of 
the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.

                          ____________________