Eddie Rickenbacker
Decades before there was a separate United States Air Force, Eddie Rickenbacker was an American flying ace during World War I. His previous experience was as a race car driver. In May 1917 in NY, Eddie joined the Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps and three days later, he left for Paris where he first served in the American Expeditionary Force as the staff driver for General John J. Pershing. Eventually, he was permitted to join the Aviation Training School at Tours, France. After graduating from the course in October 1917, he was assigned to the Third Aviation Instruction Center where he persistenly requested assignment to the First Pursuit Group’s 94 Aero Squadron in the “Hat in the Ring” Squadron where he quickly became an ace pilot. For his effective skills and courage during aerial combat, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. After WWI, he returned to car racing and became the President of the Indianapolis Speedway. Later, he returned to aviation putting together Eastern Airlines and retiring as the Chairman of the Board of Eastern Airlines in December 1963.
Billy Mitchell
Born in Nice France son of a U.S.> Senator from Wisconsin, Billy enlisted in the Wisconsin Infantry in 1899 to fight in the Spanish American War but the war ended before he could join the fight. He stayed in the Signal Corps and served in Cuba and the Philippines during the Philippine Insurrection. While stationed in Alaska, Billy studied glider experiments and in 1906 predicted that wars would soon be fought in the air and under the sea. During WWI, he commanded 1481 American and Allied airplanes who gained superiority over German ground forces. In the years after WWI, he continued to advocate for the creation of an American air force and is considered the “Father of the U.S. Air Force”. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Jimmy Doolittle
Born in Alaska, James Doolittle enlisted as a flying cadet in the Signal Corps Reserve in October 1917. He was commissioned in the Signal Corps’ Aviation Section in 1918. He served as a flight leader and gunnery instructor. He made the first cross country flight from FL to CA on September 4, 1922 covering 2,136 miles in 21 hours (making only one stop for refueling near San Antonio’s Kelly Field). He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for this historic feat. At McCook Field, he conducted accelerations tests and later, took special training in seaplanes winning several awards with an average of 223 miles per hour, the fastest seaplane with pontoons. While in Chile in 1926, he broke both ankles, but continued to fly with both ankles in casts. After resigning his commission in 1930, he became the manager of Shell Oil Company Aviation Department. He frequently went back on active duty to conduct aviation tests, and in 1932 set the high-speed record for land planes. In one race, he reached speeds averaging 252 miles per hour. In 1942, he began the planning for the first aerial raid on Japan. He volunteered to lead the 16 B-52 bombers one-way raid on Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe and Nagoya. Along with his fellow pilots, he had to bail out but fortunately landed in a rice paddy in China. Not all of the pilots were so lucky. For his daring leadership, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, He continued to serve our country until his retirement in 1959, when he because the chairman of the board of Space Technology Laboratories and was the first president of the Air Force Association in 1947 helping to set it up for the new Service – the U. S. Air Force.
Henry “Hap” Arnold
After he graduated from West Point in the Class of 1907, Hap Arnold joined the 29thInfantry and was sent to the Philippines. In 1911, he was detailed to the Signal Corps and sent to Dayton, Ohio where he was instructed for two months by the Wright Brothers about how to fly biplanes. Arnold became one of the first military aviators in June 1911 when he soloed for the first time. For much of 1912, he instructed flyers at the Signal Corps aviation school. He them was sent to Ft. Riley, KS to be the first aerial observer of Field Artillery firing to use radio to report his observations. For most of WWI, he led the Information Service in the Aviation Division of the Army Signal Corps. He let the effort to develop the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator four engine planes (unknowingly anticipating their extensive use in WWII many years in the future) and precise training for pilots and crewmembers. In 1938, he was appointed the chief of the Army Air Corps. In March 1943, he was promoted to four-star general rank. After the creation of the separate U.S. Air Force, by order of the Congress, was appointed the first general of the U. S. Air Force at five-star rank. He was also the founder of Project RAND which evolved into the think tank, the RANS Corporation. He was also a founder of Pan American World Airlines.
Carl Spaatz
Born in Pennsylvania in 1891, Carl Spaatz was commissioned into the Infantry at graduation from West Point in 1914. After an assignment at Schofield Barracks, HI, he became a student at the Aviation School at San Diego, CA. In June 1916, he was assigned to the First Aero Squadron under John J. Pershing during the Punitive Expedition into Mexico against Pancho Villa. He shipped out to France with the American Expeditionary Forces in command of the 31st Aero Squadron and later served at the American Aviation School at Issoundun. He became a pursuit pilot and was credited with shooting down three German Fokker planes. In 1929, he commanded the Army plane “Question Mark” on its refueling endurance flight over Los Angelos keeping the plane in the air a record 150 hours, 40 minutes, 15 seconds. In 1940, he spent several weeks in Britain during the Battle of Britain and in May 1942 became the commander of the Eighth Air Force transferring to Europe to prepare American bombing of Germany. In addition to his commanding the Eighth Air Force, he was appointed commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe. Later, he was the commander of the 12th Air Force in North Africa, the deputy commander of Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, the commander of the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe. After the defeat of Germany, he assumed command of the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific on Guam. In 1946, Spaatz was appointed the commanding general of the Army Air Forces. With the creation of the separate Air Force in 1947, President Truman appointed him the first chief of staff. He served until 1948. After his retirement, he worked for Newsweek magazine as a military affairs editor until 1961. He was the first President of the Air Force Historical Foundation and was appointed to the Congressional Advisory Board to find the site for the new U.S. Air Force Academy.
Daniel James, Jr
Daniel James, Jr. attended the Tuskegee Institute and completed civilian pilot training under the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Remaining at Tuskegee, he was a civilian instructor. In 1949, he went to the Philippines as a flight leader and in 1950, he was assigned to Korea where he flew 101 combat missions. In 1966, he was deputy commander for operation at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, later wing vice commander where he flew 78 combat missions into North Vietnam. He led a flight into the Bolo Mig sweep in which seven Communist Mig 21s were destroyed, the highest total kill of any mission during the Vietnam War. He is known for speeches on Americanism and patriotism, excerpts are in the Congressional Record. He was awarded the George Washington Freedom Foundation Medal in 1967 and 1968. In 1975, he was promoted to four-star rank becoming the highest ranking African-American to that time.
Robin Olds
Born in Hawaii, the son of an Army Air Corps general, Robin spent most of his childhood at Langley Field, VA surrounded by leaders of the Army Air Corps including his neighbor, Major Carl Spaatz (above). Robin took his first flight at the age of eight in an open cockpit biplane flown by his father. That set the stage for his desire to become a military pilot. His goal became attending the U. S. Military Academy. For a year after high school he attended an Army prep school and attempted to join the Royal Canadian Air Force when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. His father refused to sign the necessary paperwork. Instead, after receiving only a conditional appointment to West Point, he moved to PA, living in the YMCA and doing odd jobs to support himself while he waited to take the West Point entrance exam. He entered the West Point Class of 1944 and was a member of the Army football team. He was selected All-American tackle in 1942. He graduated from West Point in June 1943. He completed flight training going then to Europe where he flew 107 combat missions shotting down 12 aircraft and destroying 11 on the ground. The American Fighter Aces Association recognizes him as the only pilot to make ace on both the P-38 and P-51. When WWII was over, he was assigned to West Point as an assistant football coach under Red Blaik. In 1946 along with LTC Pappy Herbst, he founded the Air Force’s first jet aerobatic demonstration team thrilling crowds wherever they went. He was one of four pilots who participated in the first one-day, dawn to dusk, transcontinental round trip jet flight from March Field, CA to Washington, D.C. In Vietnam, in 1966, he took command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Group bringing in Daniel James Jr. (above) creating a strong and effective command team at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base. He completed 152 combat missions including 105 over North Vietnam. For three years, he was assigned to the Air Force Academy as the Commandant. Robin Olds is the only person ever enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.