Father of the United States Air Force

“In Mitchell’s view, room had to be made for aeronautics as an equal partner of the Army and Navy, if the United States were to protect its interests in a world that was rapidly shrinking with every technical advance” (40).

The Book

Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell is one of those interesting characters in United States history. His aeronautical ideas were ahead of their time; the urgent and controversial way he chose to publicize them resulted in his court-martial from the United States Army. In Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power, author Alfred F. Hurley presents a biography that focuses on Mitchell’s ideas and how they interacted with the contemporary dominant individuals and viewpoints. 

Billy Mitchell enlisted in the United States Army in 1898, at the start of the Spanish-American War. His early military career led him to Cuba and the Philippines and in 1901 he officially joined the Signal Corp of the regular Army. In this capacity, Mitchell surveyed the communications work in Alaska and participated in the experimental research at Fort Leavenworth. As early as 1906, he recognized the military potential of lighter-than-air craft, which set his military career on a new trajectory. 

When Mitchell was sent to Europe as an aeronautical observer in April 1917, he was introduced to the theory of aerial warfare. It was clear to him that the United States lacked the equipment, support, and training for the new role aviation was set to play. After World War I, Mitchell set out to champion a separate branch for an air force and the significance of military aviation. Frustrated when his ideas fell on deaf ears, Mitchell often turned to the press to directly appeal to the public. This frustration came to a head when the Navy once again stood in the way of funding for a separate air branch of the military. In 1925, Mitchell was found guilty on disciplinary charges and court-martialed. While Mitchell’s military career was at an end, the Administration began to take military aviation more seriously. In the Epilogue, Hurley vindicates Mitchell’s theories and ideas, despite the way he handled himself, by considering aviation’s role in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. 

This was a unique biography because there is little time spent on Mitchell’s personal life, other than his family background and early years. Minimal context is provided to ground the narrative and the focus is squarely on the military. Despite that, the book is still easy to read and would be interesting to both the average reader and the avid military buff. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and ends with a summary and a foreshadow of the next chapter. There are two sections of black and white candid and staged photos. For those who might wish to visualize the story, a film was made in 1955: The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell.

The Place

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is a museum unlike many others. According to the website, it is “the world’s largest military aviation museum”, and it definitely feels like it when you walk in the doors. There are four large hangers that display thousands of aircraft (from the early years of the 20^th century to space missions) and plenty of descriptions for those that want to learn more in-depth. Aircraft hang from the ceiling and are displayed at eye level, some with additional artifacts and mannequins to set the scene. There are several planes that visitors can walk through. Some of my favorite exhibits include the Doolittle Raid and Memphis Belle (WWII gallery), the Missile gallery, and Air Force One (Presidential gallery). 

Both admission and parking are free and the museum is open seven days a week, from 9am to 5pm. It can easily become overwhelming to a first-time visitor and it is impossible to do everything in one day. Free tours are available, if visitors would like to do more than observe the aircraft and read signs. The tours are divided up by hanger and start at the respective information desks. When I was a kid, my family would often go more than once a year. The sheer size allowed for the kids to work off their energy, especially on rainy or cold days. If you only have one day to visit, my recommendation would be to plan based on your interests or to focus on one hanger.