Major General William “Billy” Mitchell was born December 29, 1879 in Nice, France. MG Billy Mitchell was well known for his strong belief that aircraft should take the place of battleships and the belief that the Air Service should be its own standalone component (Jones). MG Mitchell had definite skill and leadership ability that make him a prestigious character of history today. While his skill and leadership ability were formidable, his approach and tact he had taken to present his theories as important, provoked hostility from his superiors (Encyclopedia of World Biographies). MG Mitchell became the Father of the Air Force due his skill and ability, but more so by his unwillingness to be quieted from expressing an idea he so firmly …show more content…
Mitchell began fighting for the formation of American air units in France, but was angered by the amount of time that it was taking to deploy American pilots and aircraft. It disturbed him that the French were providing air support over American Lines. Mitchell saw this as insufficiency on America’s control and effectiveness. After meeting Sir Hugh Trenchard, his theories were developed and thus begin his relentless efforts to have his plan for the future of aviation heard and implemented (National Museum of US Air Force). In 1918, he led the first squadron of American aviators at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel alongside French, British, and Italian planes. After the Battle of Saint Mihiel he aggressively built airfields, hangers, and other facilities. As Deputy Chief of the Army Air Service, under Major General Charles Menoher, he voiced his opinion for the need of an independent air force and he petitioned for the US Army Air Service to have border patrols, forest fire patrols, aerial mapping missions, and any other capabilities that show the value of aviation in combat. When his attempts failed, he became increasingly more vocal expressing his opinion and he started publically attacking his superiors in the Army, Navy, and the White House. He believed that the nation was being deluded to believe that World War I would be “the war to end all wars”. 'If a nation ambitious for universal conquest gets off to a flying start in a war of the future,' he said, 'it may be able to control the whole world more easily than a nation has controlled a continent in the past' (Glines). While this angered Mitchell’s superiors, Mitchell kept proving the effectiveness of military air support. Mitchell did this by galvanizing the production of a mechanical corps, a civilian pilot pool, and long range bombers capable of flying the Atlantic. Mitchell galvanized the production of
Billy Bishop’s path to greatness was not an easy one. He encountered many challenges throughout his young life that recognized him as a fiercer fighter pilot and a true hero. Billy Bishop faced an incredibly tough task to achieving his dream of becoming Canada’s greatest ace. Bishop had a tough life at Owen Sound Collegiate. He would be the subject to many jokes and preferred the company of girls. However his anger and fists won him acceptance on the school ground. He was a good natured boy born on February 8th, 1984. In 1911, at the age of 17, his parents sent him Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario due to his mediocre marks in school which his father knew would not allow him to get accepted to the University of Toronto. He was not an academic student and in his third year of high school was found cheating on a class exam which would later be the subject to many controversie...
Ignorance and Air Power: The Failure of U. S. Leadership to Properly Utilize Air Power in Vietnam
In the initial phase of the planning, the Army practiced flying B-25 Michells on an airfield meant to simulate the flight deck of a naval aircraft carrier (WorldWar2.com). Eventually the takeoffs were attempted on an actual aircraft carrier, the USS Hornet (WorldWar2.com). The problem they had to solve was to reduce the weight of the bombers so they could take-off from the flight deck of the carrier (WorldWar2.com). When it was determined that pilots could overcome this obstacle, the command of the project was given to Lieutenant Cornel James Doolittle (Shepherd). Doolittle was the most accomplished aviator of his generation, from his PhD in aeronautics to his daring stunt flying career (Shepherd)....
General Douglas Macarthur was one of the most well known military figures in the history of the United States. He gave his farewell speech to congress on 19th April 1951 and went into retirement after 52 years of service in the United States army. He was given the chance to address his final message to the US government. This analysis carefully examines his ethics, goals, strategies, strengths and weaknesses. The speech is very famous and highly popular among the American audience. Therefore, we will take into account all factors to critically evaluate the speech and find out what makes it important.
Throughout history, a Canadian by the name of William Avery “Billy” Bishop was considered one of the best fighter pilots of World War I. Bishop was a courageous, daring and dedicated hero, credited with 72 kills. However, the subject of his claims has always been a controversial topic for historians. Some say Bishop cheated and lied about the events that took place during the war, including his number of victories. The heart of this debate rests on the mission Bishop flew at the crack of dawn on June 2nd, 1917. After flying off on his own, he claims that he found a German aerodrome and took on seven planes on his own, shooting down three. The facts do not always add up, so it makes people wonder if and how he accomplished
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, was close to not achieving commander status. If this had happened, a different person would have taken control over Operations Torch, Avalanche, and Overlord. Eisenhower, in fact, was the key component in the victory for the Allies. Had he not been assigned by George Marshall to a planning officer in Washington D.C., President Harry Truman might not have saw Eisenhower’s potential. Eisenhower’s past 30 years of military experience, his strong mental and social stature, and his ideas and tactics were all key factors for his triumphant victory in World War II.
The. Johnson, David E. Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Print. The. "
Admiral Stockdale is best known for his leadership capabilities during the Vietnam War where he was the highest ranked officer in the prisoner of war camp. Stockdale was a 1946 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and became the first pilot to accumulate more than 1000 hours of flight time in the F-8U Crusader. The North Vietnamese
Many have heard of the Tuskegee Airmen and their accomplishments. They were a group of African American fighter pilots. They proved to be quite vital to the success of World War II. What many people may not know is the Tuskegee Airmen had several squadrons which fought throughout Europe during the war. The most famous squadron was the 332nd fighter squadron, they were commonly known as the Red Tails. Charles McGee was among those men apart of the Red Tail squadron. Charles McGee is one of most notable men in the Red Tails due to his accomplishments throughout the war. I will be explaining his life and all of his accomplishments throughout this paper on famous individuals in aviation.
Many people have been born that have struck a chord with the world. Some people have become legends, patriots and even heroes. Though one person stood out among the rest, this one was not made a hero, but was born to be one. He was a hero at what he strived to be in life and he has captured the attention of the public like no other solider has done before or since. This great Canadian Air Force Ace became one of the legendary figures in 20th century air warfare. With his daring and dramatic dogfights in France, he achieved a record of 72 kills in his many encounters. His role on the ground during the Second World War training pilots changed and inspired a whole new generation of fighter pilots. This man is known as Billy Bishop, the legendary and great Canadian hero who captured and won the respect of his enemies, comrades and the world.
In the summer of 1940, World War II had been in progress for nearly a year. Adolf Hitler was victorious and planning an invasion of England to seal Europe’s fate. Everyone in the United States of America knew it. The Germans were too powerful. Hitler's Luftwaffe had too many planes, too many pilots and too many bombs and since Hitler was Europe's problem, the United States claimed to be a neutral country (Neutrality Act of 1939). Seven Americans, however, did not remain neutral and that’s what this book is about. They joined Britain's Royal Air Force to help save Britain in its darkest hour to fight off the skilled pilots of Germany's Luftwaffe in the blue skies over England, the English Channel, and North Europe. By October 1940, they had helped England succeed in one of the greatest air battles in the history of aviation, the Battle of Britain. This book helps to show the impact of the few Americans who joined the Battle of Britain to fight off an evil that the United States didn’t acknowledge at the time. The name of Kershaw’s book was inspired from the quote, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to sow few,” which was said by British Officer and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
In this paper I will present two differing views on the topic of the design argument. In particular, I will explain William Paley's view supporting the design argument and Bertrand Russell's view against the design argument. After a presentation of the differing views, I will then evaluate the arguments to show that William Paley has a stronger argument.
Early on in life, especially during his time at the Academy, Mitscher had a lackluster approach towards school, leadership, and overall performance. This abruptly changed once he started to receive real-world training. For example, early on in his career, he began to help test new flight innovations aboard the Langley. He also was a part of an attempt to cross the Atlantic in a flying boat, which resulted in a Navy Cross for Mitscher and the other pilots. Being Naval Aviator Number 33, he helped to start integrate aviators more into the Navy. His actions clearly prove boldness, bravery, and willingness to put the mission first, all of which are key aspects of a great officer in the Navy. Perhaps his most famous examples of exceptional leadership, though, were his decisions to turn on the lights so his pilots could see to land after attacks, both in the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In both cases, the safety of hundreds of pilots and aircraft returning safely far outweighed the threat of Japanese submarines in his mind, so he made the tough choice that proved overly successful. Even though his ship, the USS Hornet, was a key part of the victory at Midway, he thought he could have performed far better. However, he tended to be forgiving of his subordinates, even though he was harsh on himself. This is further proof that he shed his past of mediocrity and became a significant naval commander. Admiral Arlegih Burke was quoted as saying, “Yet so great was his concern for his people−for their training and welfare in peacetime and their rescue in combat−that he was able to obtain their final ounce of effort and loyalty…” Mitscher’s record speaks for itself on the subject of leadership and serves as remarkable evidence that a person’s early
Unikoski, Ari. “The War in the Air - Summary of the Air War”. First World War.com. 2009. http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/summary.htm