David C. Schilling
[citation needed] Schilling joined the United States Army in September 1939 as an aviation cadet and received his commission in the Air Corps upon completion of flight training in May 1940.[citation needed] Schilling arrived with the group in England in January 1943 as commander of the 62nd Fighter Squadron and began combat missions in April flying the P-47 Thunderbolt, recording his first kill on 2 October 1943.In 1952, he took command of the 31st Fighter Escort Wing at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, flying F-84 Thunderjets, and led a non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean to Japan in Fox Peter One.Command pilot The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Air Corps) David Carl Schilling, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-47 Fighter Airplane in the 56th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 9 April 1944, in the European Theater of Operations.The outstanding heroism and aggressiveness displayed by Colonel Schilling upon this occasion reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.[5] The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Air Corps) David Carl Schilling, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-47 Fighter Airplane in the 56th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 23 December 1944, in the European Theater of Operations.
Leavenworth, KansasEriswellSuffolkArlington National CemeteryUnited States of AmericaUnited States Army Air ForcesUnited States Air ForceColonel62d Fighter Squadron56th Fighter Group31st Fighter Escort WingWorld War IIDistinguished Service CrossArmy Distinguished Service MedalSilver StarDistinguished Flying CrossAir MedalU.S. Air Forcefighter aceKansasSchilling Air Force BaseKansas City, MissouriDartmouth CollegeBachelor of ScienceGeologyUnited States ArmyAir CorpsEngland62nd Fighter SquadronP-47 Thunderbolt8th Air ForceLuftwaffeP-80 Shooting StarAir Force Chief of StaffCarl A. Spaatzshow-of-forceBerlin Blockadede Havilland VampiresNo. LIV Squadron RAFRAF ManstonUnited KingdomUnited Statesflight refuellingF-84E ThunderjetFlight Refuelling LtdLancasterPrestwickScotlandLincolnIcelandLabradorairbaseLimestone, MaineHarmon TrophyTurner Air Force BaseGeorgiaF-84 ThunderjetsInspector GeneralStrategic Air CommandSeventh Air DivisionRAF LakenheathRAF MildenhallRoyal Air Force stationsSouth RuislipSalina, KansasAir Force AssociationDistinguished Service MedalArmy Commendation MedalAir Force Presidential Unit CitationAir Force Outstanding Unit AwardAmerican Defense Service MedalAmerican Campaign MedalEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medalcampaign starWorld War II Victory MedalNational Defense Service MedalAir Force Longevity Service AwardCroix de GuerreOrder of Leopold IIflying acesRichard BongThomas McGuireDavid McCampbellGabby GabreskiGregory BoyingtonRobert S. JohnsonCharles H. MacDonaldGeorge PreddyJoe FossRobert M. HansonJohn C. MeyerCecil E. HarrisEugene A. ValenciaLance C. WadeGerald R. JohnsonNeel E. KearbyJay T. RobbinsDominic Salvatore GentileFred J. ChristensenRay Shuey WetmoreJohn J. VollKenneth A. WalshWalker MahurinDonald N. AldrichThomas J. Lynch Robert B. WestbrookGlenn E. DuncanPatrick D. FlemingCornelius N. NooyJohn Lucian SmithAlexander VraciuArthur J. BenkoMarion E. CarlLeonard K. CarsonGlenn T. EaglestonWilbur J. ThomasWalter C. BeckhamHerschel GreenJohn C. "Pappy" HerbstCharles OlderHubert ZemkeJohn B. EnglandDonald BlakesleeDuane BeesonJohn F. Thornell Jr.Gerald W. Johnson