Commander of the 493rd Bomber Group 'Helton's Hellcats' in WW2; Veteran of WW2, Korea and Vietnam. Retired as a Major General. Born 3 Sep 1915 in Clinton, Hunt County, Texas,

CITATION:
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 Colonel (Air Corps) Elbert Helton (AFSN: 0-22325), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as commander of the air division and wing formations on heavy bombardment missions against the enemy. Colonel Helton demonstrated outstanding airmanship while commanding his formations on successful attacks against Milsburg, Germany, 20 June 1944; Ludwigshafen, Germany, 25 September 1944; Coblenz, Germany, 11 November 1944; and Giessen, Germany, 11 December 1944, despite adverse weather conditions on two occasions and anti-aircraft fire on each mission. The brilliant exercise of command displayed by Colonel Helton was largely responsible for the success of these missions. His actions reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.