Foil: 6 Panel: Distinguished Flying Cross Society Column: 1 Line: 58

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

By direction of the President, First Lieutenant Fred R. Fonck, AO 836257, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
CITATION
First Lieutenant Fred R. Fonck distinguished himself by extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight on 11 July 1951. Leading a flight of four (4) F-51 type aircraft, First Lieutenant displayed outstanding airmanship when he led his flight through low hanging clouds an intermittent rain showers direct to the target area at Chorwon, Korea, where he and his flight carried out a series of destructive attacks using napalm, rockets, and machine guns on enemy troop concentrations, troop billets, and machine gun emplacements in this area. Despite intense automatic weapons fire, First Lieutenant Fonck pressed successive attacks on enemy troops then diverted his attacks to the billets in the nearby town, where he destroyed or burned ten (10) buildings with rockets and machine guns. He then directed the attacks of the other members of his flight on cleverly concealed enemy emplacements near the village. Although adverse conditions necessitated diving and climbing through low clouds on each attack, First Lieutenant Fonck continued his attacks, harassing enemy positions until all ammunition was expended. First Lieutenant Fonck in addition to destroying ten (10) buildings was credited by the mosquito controller with fifty (50) enemy troops killed. He then reassembled his flight and led them through instrument conditions to the home base. By his persistent attacks against the enemy, First Lieutenant Fonck greatly reduced the enemy's ability to wage war in this area. By his high courage and devotion to duty, First Lieutenant Fonck has brought great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.