the Navy Cross, which at the time was the United States Navy's third-highest decoration. Bellinger was also made a commander of the Order of the Tower and Sword by the Portuguese government on June 3, 1919. Interwar period Fight for the Naval Aviation Bellinger was ordered to the Officer of Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C. in June 1919 and was attached mostly to the aviation duty. During October and November 1920, he served as the Naval observer of the Army's bombing of the obsolete battleship USS Indiana in Tangier Sound in the Chesapeake Bay and later served as Naval Observer during the bombing of the former German battleship Ostfriesland, which was sunk by Army Brigadier General Billy Mitchell’s planes in the Atlantic Ocean a few miles off the Virginia Capes in July 1921. During the both tests, Army successfully sank both targets and General Mitchell claimed that the success of his land-based planes made naval aviation unnecessary, but Bellinger disagreed with that opinion and for the rest of his career, he remained strong advocate of Naval aviation. He stated that aircraft should be with the fleet to gain control of the air above it, prior to any naval battle. Bellinger was meanwhile transferred to the newly established Bureau of Aeronautics under Rear admiral William A. Moffett, where he remained until October 1921, when he joined Aircraft Squadrons, Pacific Fleet. He was later transferred to Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet and remained that assignment until June 1923, when he was transferred to aircraft tender USS Wright under Commander Lamar R. Leahy. Bellinger later became executive officer of that vessel and was detached in September 1924 in order to enter instruction at Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. While at the College, he was promoted to Commander on November 16, 1924. Upon graduation one year later, he served for brief period on the staff of the college and also held additional duty as aviation expert on the Morrow Board, named after its chairman, Dwight Morrow. The Board of inquiry had task to determine the future of military aviation. Bellinger made nine recommendations including the need for naval aviation to be a combatant force within the fleet. Among other things he recommended that naval aviation be recognized as a permanent career for officers and enlisted men; that there be established a “flight line” to determine succession to command; that commanders of