The obverse of the medal bears the stylized image of a seagull, flying above ocean waves, surrounded by the words "FIRST TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT UNITED STATES NAVY MAY 1919" in relief along the outer edges of the medal. On the reverse, in the center of the medal surrounded by a circle is the inscription "NC-4", with "NEWFOUNDLAND" above it and "PORTUGAL" below. In the lower half of the medal, in two arcs, is the inscription "PRESENTED · BY · THE · PRESIDENT · OF · THE · UNITED · STATES · IN · THE · NAME · OF · CONGRESS." In the corresponding position in the top half of the medal, the names of the recipients: "J.H. TOWERS · A.C. READ · E.F. STONE · W. HINTON · H.C. RODD · J.L. BREESE · E. RHODES."