Haynes received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Order of the Merit of Chile for his role in February 1939 as commander of the experimental aircraft , the Boeing XB-15 , carrying of American Red Cross emergency supplies to Santiago , Chile , to help the survivors of the 1939 Chillán earthquake . Haynes and his ten-man crew won the Mackay Trophy for their part in the nearly round trip voyage . The flight showed the world not only the lengths to which the U.S. could go to mount a humanitarian relief mission but also the range and payload capability of the new bomber
1939 Chillán earthquake
1939 Chillán earthquake
Caleb V. Haynes