The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Sergeant Frank D. Neff (ASN: 6200384), U.S. Army Air Corps, for heroism while participating in an aerial flight, as a member of the 2d Balloon Company, at Pope Field, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on the night of 3 – 4 December 1931. During a severe wind and rainstorm the Army dirigible TC-71 broke from it’s moorings while preparations were being made by the crew to start the engines and cast it off to ride out the storm. Sergeant Neff succeeded in getting the right motor started but was unable to start the left motor from within the car. Realizing that the air ship was not under full control and in great danger of being wrecked and the crew injured, he immediately discarded his parachute and with complete disregard for his own safety, climbed out the car upon the unprotected outrigger of the widely plunging dirigible and, working in the darkness in this perilous position, succeeded in hand-cranking the left motor, thereby bringing the airship under full engine control. Sergeant Neff’s heroic action in risking his life to safe the airship from destruction and the crew from injury was in accordance with the best traditions of the Air Corps and reflects great credit upon himself and the military service.