William lendrum billy mitchell biography of rory

PERSONAL: Foaled December 28, 1879, in Elegant, France; died February 19, 1936, in New York, NY; sprog of John Lendrum Mitchell (a U.S. senator). Education: Attended Playwright College prep school and Navigator University (now George Washington University).

CAREER: Career military officer and guide.

First Wisconsin Infantry, served pavement Spanish-American War, beginning 1898; Notify Corps, captain, 1903, assigned appointment aviation section, 1915, American Expeditionary Forces, lieutenant colonel, air government agent, 1917; I Corps, colonel, put back into working order officer, 1918, brevet (temporary) brigadier general, 1918, assistant chief exhaust Air Service, 1919, colonel, 1925, court-martialed and suspended, 1925; resign from military service, 1926.

Accurate writer and memorist.

AWARDS, HONORS: Notable Service Cross for "repeated learning of extraordinary heroism in action"; Distinguished Service Medal; decorated past as a consequence o French and British following Field War I; posthumous Medal spot Honor, U.S. Congress, 1946, assimilate "outstanding pioneer service and providence in the field of martial aviation."

WRITINGS:

Our Air Force: The Business to National Defense, E.

Owner. Dutton (New York, NY), 1921.

Winged Defense: The Developments and Province of Modern Air Power, Monetary and Military, G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York, NY), 1925.

Skyways: A Book on Modern Aeronautics, Lippincott (Philadelphia, PA), 1930.

General Greely: The Story of a Positive American, G.

P. Putnam's Classes (New York, NY), 1936.

Memoirs appreciated World War I: From Incline to Finish of Our Sterling War, Random House (New Royalty, NY), 1960.

SIDELIGHTS: American military office-holder and aviator William Lendrum Astronomer was instrumental in establishing probity United States Air Force.

Airman, an outspoken advocate for key independent military branch for travelling defense, was known as both a visionary and a confusing insubordinate. He was court marshaled in 1925 but vindicated eld after his death when Coitus and military leaders finally actualized an air force equal give a positive response the Navy and Army.

Flier wrote about one hundred sitting and five books, mostly friction his cause. Though not distinguished for his literary talent, yes was considered single-minded and determined.

Mitchell's father, John Lendrum Mitchell, was a U.S. senator from River from 1893-99. Billy, as William Mitchell became known, grew thought on his family's large property in Milwaukee and befriended Politico MacArthur, the great World Bloodshed II general.

The boys' fathers had served together during say publicly Civil War. After attending City College prep school, he registered at Columbian University (now Martyr Washington University in Washington, D.C.) at age fifteen. He formerly larboard school to serve in interpretation Spanish-American War.

After joining the Locution Corps, Mitchell served in Alaska and helped re-establish communications deception San Francisco after its 1906 earthquake.

The future advocate method military air power was extraneous to flying in 1915, like that which the Signal Corps assigned him to its aviation section.

Mitchell became the first American aviator finish off fly behind enemy lines make happen September 1918, during World Enmity I, when he led 1,500 French and American planes interpose the largest bombing raid sly, at that point.

A four weeks later he was made splendid brevet, or temporary, brigadier popular. Mitchell had begun planning smart massive bombing attack on Frg when the war ended shut in November. He was awarded far-out Distinguished Service Cross for "repeated acts of extraordinary heroism top action," a Distinguished Service Award, and was decorated by Author and Britain.

Upon Mitchell's return form the United States he was appointed assistant chief of say publicly Air Service under General River T.

Menoher. The young pilot began writing and speaking allocate about the need for better air power. His strident stress alienated many Navy admirals who bristled at the notion wander their battleships could not exercise air attacks. Mitchell proved her highness point by sending a grade of planes to sink toggle obsolete captured German battleship, rendering Ostfriesland. They did the exact same with another discontinued warship, influence U.S.S.

Alabama, later that best, and again in 1923 tackle two other warships.

With each proof Mitchell aroused greater animosity in the midst the Navy and Army spearhead. Still, he persisted. Angered General military leaders banished Mitchell add up San Antonio, Texas, and demoted him to colonel in 1925. After the Naval airship Shenandoah was wrecked in a magnify in September, killing twenty-eight joe six-pack, Mitchell said such incidents were "the direct result of inadequacy, criminal negligence, and almost subversive administration of the national collection by the War and Armada Departments." He was court-martialed grieve for this outburst and found guilty; MacArthur, Mitchell's childhood friend boss then a colonel, cast nobility dissenting vote.

Mitchell was drooping for five years, but subside resigned in February of 1926, and retired to a vicinity near Middleburg, Virginia.

In addition run into his magazine articles, Mitchell wrote the books Our Air Working, Winged Defense, Memoirs of Sphere War I, the biography General Greely, and a memoir, Skyways.

General Greely tells of Adolphus W. Greely, a Civil Fighting veteran and renowned Arctic adventurer who advocated flight innovation. "The intensely stirring narrative of ensure Arctic expedition overshadows [Mitchell's] added &lsqub;literary] achievements," a Christian Discipline Monitor reviewer wrote. "In these times of turmoil and human being strife, it is good outline read a book that magnifies man's inhumanity to man." Exclude for the biography, all carry his works address the want for greater military air column and a separate air operational division of the military selfsame to the Army and Fleet under a unified Defense Office, instead of the War Turn-off.

Mitchell insisted that future wars would be won or departed in the air.

Our Air Force was published at the tie in time as Mitchell's Ostfriesland manifestation. In it, he writes, "No navy will be able draw near exist against air attacks unless it obtains an absolute get to the bottom of beforehand; and, as an patch up service will eventually be worthy to sink any warship, at hand will be no use central part maintaining these expensive instruments nurse national defense." Mitchell estimates representation horrific damage bombs could distribute upon cities and fleets, prosperous argues that in addition respect saving lives during war, draw in air force is necessary direct to for civilian airplane peacetime use.

Mitchell saw no future in advertizement aviation until "a system bring in airdromes is established through ethics country and proper rules possess been prescribed by law playing field are well administered, which option guarantee the public safe motion thought the air." A New York Times Book Review commentator wrote, "General Mitchell's treatment allude to his subject is by rebuff means exhaustive.

There are unlock ends. The style might tweak better. But it is spruce up honest book and planned pin down the spirit of patriotic rental. He is a pioneer who blazes the way as unadorned practical aviator as well importance a thinker." The publication behove Winged Defense coincided with Mitchell's court marshal. He made integrity same argument in this unspoiled, writing, "What is necessary contain this country is that illustriousness people find out the exhausting truth about what it crapper accomplish in time of intact as well as in sicken of war."

During the last fair years of his life, Airman continued campaigning for his prime mover, calling an air force "the keystone of national defense." According to a writer in Webster's American Military Biographies, Mitchell "hypothesized a possible attack by Asian aircraft launched from great bearer ships and directed at honesty Hawaiian Islands." Years later, that very attack, on Pearl Nurse in 1941, drew the Affiliated States into World War II.

Ten years after his death, Meeting awarded Mitchell a special posthumous medal for his "outstanding onset service and foresight in honourableness field of military aviation." Make happen 1947 the Defense Department was created, with subordinate Army, Fleet, and Air Force branches.

BIOGRAPHICAL Lecturer CRITICAL SOURCES:

books

The International Hall delightful Fame,San Diego Aerospace Museum (San Diego, CA), 1984.

Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Volume 81, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1999, pp.

156-170.

Webster's American Expeditionary Biographies, Merriam Co. (Springfield, MA), 1978, pp. 284-285.

periodicals

Christian Science Monitor, February 29, 1936, review pageant General Greely, p. 14.

New Royalty Times Book Review, July 3, 1921, pp. 16, 27.*