{"id":6238,"date":"2025-01-14T05:53:40","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T13:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/layes.info\/?p=6238"},"modified":"2025-10-24T12:16:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T19:16:00","slug":"he-laid-the-foundation-for-the-u-s-air-force-general-henry-arnold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/eternal\/he-laid-the-foundation-for-the-u-s-air-force-general-henry-arnold","title":{"rendered":"He Laid the Foundation for the U.S. Air Force: General Henry Arnold"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Henry Arnold is <strong>one of the key figures<\/strong> who defined the development of American military aviation in the 20th century. As the <strong>first and only five-star general<\/strong> of the U.S. Air Force, he played a central role in creating the powerful air force that became a decisive factor in World War II. Learn about infantry veteran <a href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/eternal\/the-story-of-the-infantry-veteran-rob-reynolds-and-his-work-in-veterans-row\">Rob Reynolds<\/a> and his work at Veterans Row. More at <a href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\">layes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c0b62dc594\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c0b62dc594\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/eternal\/he-laid-the-foundation-for-the-u-s-air-force-general-henry-arnold\/#Biography\" >Biography<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/eternal\/he-laid-the-foundation-for-the-u-s-air-force-general-henry-arnold\/#A_Dangerous_Flight\" >A Dangerous Flight<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/eternal\/he-laid-the-foundation-for-the-u-s-air-force-general-henry-arnold\/#Return_to_Aviation\" >Return to Aviation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/eternal\/he-laid-the-foundation-for-the-u-s-air-force-general-henry-arnold\/#Life_in_California\" >Life in California<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Biography\"><\/span>Biography<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Born in Pennsylvania on June 25, 1886, Henry Arnold spent his childhood in Philadelphia. His father was a strict and authoritarian physician. The young Arnold had a mixed reaction to this harsh upbringing. While he learned to obey when necessary, he also developed <strong>a rebellious streak<\/strong> that led him to resist his father&#8217;s authority. Arnold graduated from the <strong>Military Academy in 1907<\/strong>. He was subsequently stationed in the Philippine Islands, where he was assigned to map the islands of Luzon and Corregidor. In early 1909, his former superior, Captain Arthur S. Cowan, asked Arnold to volunteer for the newly established aviation section of the Signal Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After completing his tour, Arnold returned from the Philippines and stopped in Paris. There he saw his first airplane, the same one that had completed the first flight across the English Channel in July 1909. The plane did not immediately instill an overwhelming desire to fly in the young Arnold. But his next tour on Governors Island in New York increased his interest in flying. Arnold eventually earned his pilot&#8217;s license and became <strong>one of only two active pilots<\/strong> in the U.S. Army. He became the first person to fly U.S. mail planes in New York. Two months later, he received the <strong>first Mackay Trophy<\/strong> for outstanding aviation achievement. Arnold then traveled to Fort Riley, Kansas, to conduct experiments in aerial artillery spotting. He became the <strong>first military aviator to use radio<\/strong> to spot artillery fire. Within three weeks, he had demonstrated the airplane&#8217;s potential for reconnaissance and observation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/01\/ad_4nxfn-6dss-xmsubwayu3wmyumzekwdqhob17rpfwzrqlttclav5bbcwo6i26ch6dmzq5oduttlrnyrspnuw8iplpy7vm_budci4uryjx3wabx9bzoetyaf9rhnw-dyzuonfzzg_rcgkeyruzl1fyavir06dc4paebqjhd.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Dangerous_Flight\"><\/span>A Dangerous Flight<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>His flight on November 5, 1912, <strong>nearly ended in disaster<\/strong>. Arnold&#8217;s Wright Model C Flyer entered a sharp 360-degree spin, stalled at 400 feet, and plunged uncontrollably toward the ground. Despite the aircraft being mechanically sound, nothing Arnold did could slow the fall. He regained control at the last possible second, at approximately eighty feet, and managed to land. The experience <strong>shook the pilot<\/strong>, who wrote in letters that he would never be able to pilot a plane again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Signal Corps transferred him to a desk job in Washington, D.C., where he remained until September 1913. Arnold found he disliked routine administration but learned a great deal about how bureaucracy functions\u2014how to process paperwork and how to bypass it. On August 16, 1913, he told the House Committee on Military Affairs hearings on U.S. Army aeronautics that the Army&#8217;s aviation function should <strong>remain under the protection of the Signal Corps<\/strong> rather than become an independent combat branch of the Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/01\/ad_4nxeohdtiuyxvtjnkcs8ket1nlfhjirr8frpvhq3o2wkm99r5ih0aijdhuf_ozxm3uuebdxqwrah23g5b4ljzktrk2_dt5s7qolq3qoozmzvq0fonadnbcnvxyjjx-c_u0mjvnpj0kakeyruzl1fyavir06dc4paebqjhd.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Return_to_Aviation\"><\/span>Return to Aviation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After nearly four years of refusing to fly, even as a passenger, and after four months of talking with enthusiastic pilots, Arnold decided to test himself. On October 18, 1916, he flew as a passenger. A month later, he took the controls himself, and eventually flew for over forty minutes. He had successfully <strong>regained his confidence in aviation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In February 1917, Arnold left San Diego to establish the newly formed 7th Aero Squadron in the Panama Canal Zone. A controversial inter-service rivalry prevented him from even selecting a location for an airfield. His commander recommended he return to Washington to get a decision. His plane arrived in New York on April 6, 1917, the day after the US declared war on Germany. He then served in a temporary capacity until early June 1917 and helped prepare the <strong>first estimates for the U.S. Army Air Forces<\/strong> in wartime. During this time, Arnold became the officer in charge of the Aviation Division&#8217;s information service. In this role, he handled information requests from Congress, wrote speeches for senior officers, and served as the Aviation Division&#8217;s press agent, responsible for relations with print media. The aviation section&#8217;s headquarters, along with Arnold, worked around the clock for three weeks. They prepared a draft bill for the procurement of <strong>22,600 aircraft<\/strong>, including trainers and support planes, along with the necessary logistics and manpower support. The bill&#8217;s passage effectively kept Arnold in a stateside office job. Between August 1917 and May 1918, he held the position of executive officer to the commander of the Aviation Division and, in the same capacity, to the commander of the Signal Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arnold was promoted to major in June 1917, and two months later, at age 31, he became the <strong>youngest colonel in the Army<\/strong>. On May 20, 1918, President Wilson reorganized the Army&#8217;s aviation function, removing it from the Signal Corps and creating the Bureau of Aircraft Production, which was responsible for procuring aircraft, engines, and equipment for the air arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the early 1920s, while serving as commander of Rockwell Field in California, Arnold helped organize an aerial patrol along the Mexican border. It was also during this time that pilots under his command initiated <strong>experiments with in-flight refueling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On February 3, 1925, Arnold became chief of the Information Division in the Office of the Chief of the Air Service in Washington. He used his relationships with congressmen and the press to <strong>promote the views and needs of the Air Service<\/strong>. Arnold was known for his ability to coordinate large operations and implement innovations. He created a training system for pilots, engineers, and technicians that prepared hundreds of thousands of specialists for the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/01\/ad_4nxctn4mycj_dqhxfcey6oknval8odtubwyntuifewvny7_o_ogl1fmlwnee7qj6jazvarmolrwaraiiicvwl9jfua5qspcvlub8zhnox3kkz88xtnkmhmxs2jxvxn1xn16lnggim5qkeyruzl1fyavir06dc4paebqjhd.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Life_in_California\"><\/span>Life in California<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the next nine years, Arnold held a series of increasingly important positions. He served as commander of the Fairfield Air Depot in Ohio and as chief of the Field Service Section of the Materiel Division. This assignment strengthened his already extensive knowledge of the service&#8217;s maintenance and procurement functions. On February 1, 1931, the War Department promoted him to lieutenant colonel in the regular Army. In November 1931, he <strong>assumed command of March Field<\/strong> in Riverside, California. He was tasked with transforming it from a training facility into an operational base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arnold also became acquainted with the magnates of another new California industry. He lent his assistance to scientific experiments conducted by the <strong>California Institute of Technology<\/strong>. Arnold demonstrated a depth of vision that supported the advancement of nearly every aspect of aviation. He handled the western mail routes, which included the Rocky Mountains and had the least developed infrastructure. The Air Corps proved incapable of performing the job, but Arnold was satisfied, knowing his western division had suffered the fewest losses in the difficult terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On February 11, 1935, Arnold took command of the newly created <strong>1st Wing, General Headquarters Air Force<\/strong>. Over the next year, Arnold and his men participated in realistic exercises and in the development of new tactics and doctrine favored by the Air Force. Given the fiscal and technical constraints of the time, they achieved a high state of readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.layes.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2025\/01\/ad_4nxcaxqdtubfp2k7allu2mqacekgvydhqhlhebohodvdz1oqqai4hsd3iejigc7dbqz_vth_cafjravdg42loqi7vm530yotk2itvagw4rpd-wvtji4iact3gtpctp8nse2tm3idbqgkeyruzl1fyavir06dc4paebqjhd.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>During World War II, Arnold commanded the <strong>Army Air Forces (AAF)<\/strong>. He oversaw its expansion from a small organization into the <strong>most powerful air force in the world<\/strong>. Under his command, the AAF became a key instrument of Allied victory, providing strategic bombing, ground troop support, and airlift capabilities. Arnold actively supported the development of new technologies, such as jet aircraft and atomic weapons. His vision laid the groundwork for the modern U.S. Air Force. After the war, Arnold championed the idea of creating a separate U.S. Air Force, which was <strong>officially established in 1947<\/strong>. His work spurred the development of aviation technology, space programs, and America&#8217;s strategic capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/media.defense.gov\/2010\/Sep\/27\/2001329810\/-1\/-1\/0\/AFD-100927-038.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/media.defense.gov\/2010\/Sep\/27\/2001329810\/-1\/-1\/0\/AFD-100927-038.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.af.mil\/About-Us\/Biographies\/Display\/Article\/107811\/henry-h-arnold\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.af.mil\/About-Us\/Biographies\/Display\/Article\/107811\/henry-h-arnold\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/militaryhallofhonor.com\/honoree-record.php?id=7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/militaryhallofhonor.com\/honoree-record.php?id=7<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Henry Arnold is one of the key figures who defined the development of American military aviation in the 20th century. As the first and only five-star general of the U.S. Air Force, he played a central role in creating the powerful air force that became a decisive factor in World War II. Learn about infantry [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":407,"featured_media":6239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[498],"tags":[4030,4035,4033,4031,4029,4024,4026,4023,4032,4028,4034,4021,4025,4027,4022],"motype":[491],"moformat":[93],"moimportance":[523,101,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-6238","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-voenna-istoria","8":"tag-army-air-forces-aaf","9":"tag-caltech-aviation","10":"tag-early-military-pilots","11":"tag-father-of-the-usaf","12":"tag-five-star-general","13":"tag-general-henry-arnold","14":"tag-in-flight-refueling","15":"tag-mackay-trophy-winner","16":"tag-march-field-command","17":"tag-rockwell-field-history","18":"tag-strategic-bombing-doctrine","19":"tag-u-s-air-force-history","20":"tag-us-military-aviation","21":"tag-us-signal-corps","22":"tag-wwii-air-power","23":"motype-eternal","24":"moformat-longrid-korotka","25":"moimportance-523","26":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","27":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/407"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6238"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6244,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6238\/revisions\/6244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6238"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=6238"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=6238"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/layes.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=6238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}