GENERAL ORDERS                     HEADQUARTERS NUMBER 46                     TWENTIETH AIR FORCE APO 239 29 AUG 50 SECTION I Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross         1. By direction of the President, under the provisions of AR 600-45, dated 22 September 1943, as amended, and FEAF message MX17672, dated 1 July 1950, the Second Oak Leaf Cluster to the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism, while participating in aerial flight during the period indicated, is awarded to the following named officer: Captain ERNEST C. FIEBELKORN, AO 753 639, United States Air Force (now missing in action) distinguished himself by heroism while participating in aerial flights as pilot of an F-82 type aircraft on 6 July 1950. Captain FIEBELKORN led a flight of four F-82 all-weather fighter type aircraft to the Suwon-Seoul area, Korea, upon very short notice, and over a long distance under extremely adverse weather condiditons. The mission of the flight was to contact a forward control aircraft in order to receive instructions for strafing a group of enemy tanks that had broken through our lines. The entire target area was covered by a low under cast and after several unsuccessful attempts by Captain FIEBELKORN to contact the controller aircraft, he did voluntarily let down through the dangerous undercast over mountainous terrain, in a final attempt to make contact and engage the enemy. No more was heard from Captain FIEBELKORN by the remainder of the flight waiting aloft. The exemplary courage and selfless devotion to duty demonstrated by Captain FIEBELKORN reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. Gen. Anderson presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to: Lt. Russell Bebout (79th.FS,) Lt. Arthur Heiden (79th.FS,) is second from left and Lt.Ernest Fiebelkorn (77th.FS,) is on Bebout's left. Lt. Simonson is assisting the General. 1 May, 1944. This was Fiebelkorn's first DFC.

Reprinted from King's Cliffe Remembered Fall, 1988 Issue

(Photograph courtesy of Arthur Heiden)

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