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Henry Arnold

Surname Arnold Given Name Henry Born 25 Jun 1886 Died 15 Jan 1950 Country United States Category Military-Air Gender Male

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseHenry Harley "Hap" Arnold was born in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, United States to a physician who also served in the National Guard (a reserve military force of the United States). He graduated from Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania in 1903 and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York as an infantry officer in 1907; he wanted to be a cavalry officer, but his list of demerits, a result of the pranks he had pulled during his years at the academy, prevented his wish from coming true. His first posting was to the 29th Infantry Regiment in the Philippine Islands. His disliking for the infantry led him to join the Signal Corps, which was currently conducting an aerial survey of the Filipino island of Luzon through its Aeronautical Division. On 21 Apr 1911, after being transferred back to the United States two years earlier, Special Order 95 sent him along with another man, Thomas Milling, to Ohio, United States for flight instructions from civilian aviators. After receiving his flight certificate, Arnold and Milling became US Army's first flight instructors based out of College Park, Maryland, United States. In Oct 1912, the two pilots were sent to Fort Riley, Kansas, United States to experiment aerial spotting for field artillery.

ww2dbaseArnold broke record after record as one of the earliest US military aviators, but he also suffered several crashes and had second thoughts of his career as a pilot. After a 5 Nov 1912 crash, he applied and was granted a leave of absence. He took a staff assignment in Washington DC, United States on 1 Dec and then re-joined the infantry.

ww2dbaseOn 10 Sep 1913, Arnold married Eleanor Pool, daughter of a family friend. Milling acted as his best man.

ww2dbaseIn Jan 1914, Arnold was reassigned to the Philippine Islands, quartered next to George Marshall who would become his life-long friend. In Jan 1916, he returned to the United States and joined the 3rd Infantry Regiment. At this time, he received a telegram from Major William Mitchell who offered him the rank of captain if he would return to aviation; Arnold took the offer and joined the Aviation Section of the US Army Signal Corps. On 26 Nov 1916, he flew solo for the first time since he took the leave of absence over four years earlier. On 29 Jan 1917, he was assigned to Panama Canal Zone to find a suitable location for a new airfield, and command of the squadron that would be based there was to be given to him. Before the airfield location was determined, however, the United States entered WW1. He was given a war time rank of major, which pleased him, but to his dismay he was given staff positions in Washington DC. On 5 Aug 1917, he was given the rank of colonel in the Signal Corps in preparation for being named executive officer of the Aviation Section ten days later. In this new role, he failed to convince the US Congress to approve a large aviation appropriations bill, although through this failure he would gain valuable experience in aircraft production and politics.

ww2dbaseDuring the inter-war years, Arnold was instrumental in the formation of the US Army Air Corps, made official on 14 May 1918, which was on equal footing as the Signal Corps. Between Aug and Dec 1924, he attended Army Industrial College. In Jan 1925, he was assigned the chief of Air Service Information Office under Mitchell. After the court martial of Mitchell, Arnold survived the fiasco but was transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas, United States, an assignment that was in effect a demotion, or at least a detriment to career advancement, for an officer in US Army aviation. With the help of Major General James Fechet, he attended the General Staff School in 1929 and was appointed the commander of Fairfield Air Service Depot, Ohio, United States, thus getting back on track to an aviator's career path. On 1 Feb 1931, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel while holding the position of the executive officer of the Air Materiel Division. In the early 1930s, he further helped the image of the Army Air Corps by flying food-drops during the blizzards of 1932 to 1933, assisting in the aftermath of the earthquake of Mar 1933, establishing a Conservation Corps camp, and having his officers join local social service organizations. On 9 Mar 1935, he became the wing commander of the First Wing at March Field in California, United States following being given a temporary rank of brigadier general one week earlier. In Sep 1938, after the loss of the Air Corps' chief Major General Oscar Westover in an air crash, Arnold was named the new chief with the promotion to the permanent rank of major general. In this role, he would contribute to the establishment of a partnership with the California Institute of Technology which advanced military aircraft designs.

ww2dbaseArnold was an uncompromising leader. He was very demanding on his staff officers, rarely tolerating any delay or failure. Nevertheless, he was much respected by his subordinates.

ww2dbaseOn 20 Jun 1941, the United States Army Air Force was formed with Arnold as its chief. In this role he was credited in the formation of plan AWPD-1, which became the basis of the air strategy during WW2. He also planned the formation of the Eighth Air Force in Britain, which would play a key role in the strategic bombing of Germany later in the war. After the US entrance into WW2, Arnold was given the rank of lieutenant general and was given autonomy to operate his air units without US Army influence. As the commanding officer of what essentially was a separate branch, he was also made a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combine Chiefs of Staff. On 19 Mar 1943, he was promoted to the rank of general. On 21 Dec 1944, he was promoted to the rank of General of the Army, a five-star rank. He oversaw strategic air operations in all theaters with US involvement, including the B-29 bombing campaign that brought Japan devastation near the end of the war.

ww2dbaseBetween 1943 and 1945, Arnold suffered from four heart attacks severe enough to require hospitalization, but he refused to slow down. Even though he suffered a heart attack in Jan 1945, for example, he refused to end his on-going tour of various bases in Italy. This was only one of many examples of his passion for his profession, but many also argue that it was also indicative of his greatest weakness: his inability to delegate responsibility to his subordinate.

ww2dbaseIn Jan 1946, while in South America, Arnold developed a heart arrhythmia. He retired from service in 1946 to his ranch near Sonoma, California, United States. He suffered his fifth heart attack in Jan 1948 while writing his memoirs, and he would be hospitalized for three months. He passed away in 1950 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, United States. He left the legacy of being the first and only General of the Air Force and the only American hold the five-star ranks in two separate branches of the US military.

ww2dbaseSources:

Keith Lowe, Inferno

Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: May 2008

Henry Arnold Timeline

Photographs

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