Brigadier General Billy Mitchell and Military Aviation History

Introduction

It may seem that aviation has a long and storied history, as it appears now to have been part of the national landscape forever. The reality, however, is that the history of flying is very short, even considering the many different types of vehicles that have been used. When it comes to actual powered airplanes, that history is even shorter, though no less colorful. A large part of what has given air travel some of its most storied moments is the military wing of aviation history. It is impossible to examine the story of air power without looking at the life and accomplishments of one person: Brigadier General Billy Mitchell. This paper examines the man as a child and young officer, his ascent to the highest reaches of the War Department, his fall from grace, and the lasting effects he has had on aviation.

Early Years and Path to Aviation

William Mitchell was born on December 28, 1879, to John Mitchell, a senator from Wisconsin, and his second wife, Harriet (Long, 1998). As a child and young man, he lived part of the year in his native Wisconsin and at times in Washington, D.C. As a child of privilege, he also traveled extensively with his parents to many corners of the world. Mitchell seemed destined to become a military man from an early age, and he chose to enlist as a private during the Spanish-American War in 1898. His father did not want him to join the Army, but insisted on procuring Billy a commission through personal contacts when he did enlist (Long, 1998). Unfortunately for Mitchell, he did not enter the service in time to see combat, but after the war ended he decided to remain a member of the military and was sent to Alaska to assist in developing the new U.S. territory.

As he always would throughout his military life, Mitchell distinguished himself in his Alaskan endeavors and began to discover his life's true calling. He oversaw the stringing of telegraph lines across the wilderness. While serving in this capacity, he began reading about glider experiments that had become famous in 1901 and developed a keen interest in aviation. In 1906, while a student at the Army Staff College in Kansas, he witnessed a demonstration by Orville Wright and decided that military aviation would be his career (National Museum USAF, 2010).

Mitchell completed his studies at the Staff College and was assigned as the only signal officer on the general staff in Washington, D.C. He continued in this post until he was assigned to study British use of air power at the beginning of World War I. During this period, he continued to immerse himself in the study of aviation and began advocating for the military to adopt aircraft as a genuine asset to its fighting force.

Rise Through the Ranks

Mitchell traveled to England and worked alongside some of the pioneers of military air tactics. "Mitchell met with many Allied air commanders, but Sir Hugh Trenchard, the Royal Air Force commander who advocated using independent air power as an offensive weapon, had the greatest impact" (National Museum USAF, 2010). Trenchard became a lifelong friend and mentor to Mitchell, showing the young officer how an air wing could be effectively employed on the battlefield. When the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, Mitchell began serving as the deputy director of the Army Air Corps. He successfully planned many missions, and his crowning achievement was coordinating an attack on German forces near the end of the war using more than 1,100 Allied aircraft.

After the war, Mitchell became an even more vocal advocate for military airpower. Many have observed that "during his time in France, Mitchell proved a highly effective commander, but his aggressive approach and unwillingness to operate within the chain of command made him numerous enemies" (Hickman, 2012). His blunt manner curtailed many of the higher commands he might otherwise have been offered and made him a source of friction for both military and civilian leadership. It was perhaps a point of pride for Mitchell that he was vilified by three separate presidents.