George Byers Jr is the one with black curly hair wearing black with white shirt, just above center/center. Later in life from the Navy and USMC…
Yes, that would be fully two Navy Distinguished Service Medals[!]. That would be two Distinguished Flying Crosses. Purple Heart, etc.
Other medals coming in from other countries and entities:



And then there are those coming in from the U.S. Army. They repeated the foreign and other medals (Korea and the at-that-time United Nations). However, there’s a third Distinguished Flying Cross. I like the number five for the Air Medal. That would be five in a very short period of time as he started out on being one of the craziest insane absolutely fearless get-it-done fighter-attack pilots in U.S. history. I’m guessing they lost track of numbers as time went on:
I thank Beverly Elliot and (then) Congressman Mark Meadows (now Chief of Staff at the White House) for forcing the hand of both the Navy and then the Army for researching and providing this history of one of great American heroes, my dad.
What did I learn from dad? (1) Reverence before Jesus, whereby fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. (2) Fearlessness, whereby we are free to strive to follow good examples. (3) Zero political correctness (see both 1 and 2). (4) Service to others (see 1 and 2 and 3).
And then there’s dad’s rule number one, which he would instruct me by inserting my name in an oft repeated admonition and was pretty much his dying request of me:
“Goodness and kindness, George, Goodness and Kindness.”
I have the citation-accounts for the Navy issued Distinguished Flying Crosses. Wow. Wow. Wow. I like to know the citation-account for the Army issued DFC.
I don’t have the citation-accounts for the Navy issued Distinguished Service Medals. Those are issued by the President of the United States. Since Mark Meadows is now Chief of Staff at the White House, I should write a thanksgiving to him for having forced the DOD for the medals, but then go further and ask if he can get me the citations for the Distinguished Service Medals. There should be copies of the citations for those rarely given medals in the archives of the White House itself.
It’s good to honor one’s parents. It’s a commandment of Christ our God.
So a man of God and an American patriot! I can only imagine how proud of him you must be!
Oh, wow, Father. He was handsome and it looks like there was so much to learn from him! What an amazing phrase for him to pass along! I’m so grateful for his service!!!
WOW!!!
God really blessed your Dad. What a good example for you, and all of us!
Two thoughts, Father; looking again at the photo of your young dad, visually he’s standing out in the crowd– there’s room, or a space, around him, and he’s up and center. And the tantalizing statements you make sound as if it could be an intro to a great written story– a book, a biography, that would be quite meaningful.
Thanks for sharing,
Mary