2 Air Crews Get Medals in Attacks on Hussein

WASHINGTON —  The pilots and crew members of U.S. planes that struck targets where Saddam Hussein was believed to be hiding were awarded Distinguished Flying Cross medals, the military said Sunday.

Lt. Col. David Toomey and Maj. Mark Hoehn received medals for flying F-117A stealth fighters in a March 20 mission to bomb a complex where Hussein and his sons were thought to be staying. The next day, U.S. ground troops invaded Iraq.

Also given Distinguished Flying Cross medals was the crew of a B-1 bomber that launched an April 7 strike on a Baghdad house where Hussein was believed to be hiding.

They are Capt. Chris Watcher, the plane’s commander; Lt. Col. Fred Swan, weapons system officer; Capt. Sloan Hollis, pilot; and 1st Lt. Joe Runci, offensive systems operator.