This award is made in the name of CDR Dominic “Dee” DiMatteo, USN(Ret), who had a 30-year distinguished career including over 7,000 flight hours and over 600 carrier landings, most of which were on straight deck carriers. He enlisted in the Navy in 1940 at 19 as an aircraft mechanic, in addition to a TBM tail-gunner. He then entered the NAVCAD program, attending University of Texas and Stanford University while earning his Wings of Gold in 1944. He flew in three wars (WWII, Korea and Vietnam) in over 50 navy fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, mostly fighters (Corsair, Hellcat and Bearcat) then went on to the early carrier jets. He has two Naval Aviator sons, CDR Dave “Vito” DiMatteo (EA-6B, A-6) and CAPT Jim “Guido” DiMatteo (F-14, FA-18, F-16, F-5). Collectively, they have over 15,000 hours in Navy Tactical aircraft and nearly 1,500 traps.