US Air Force Military Training - Yearbook (Lackland, TX)

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GENERAL HENRY H. ARNOLD 1 Capiain Beclc, Lieufenanf Arnold, Capfain Chandler, Lieufenanf Milling, Lieufen-an+ Kiriland. A ULD

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HEWIIH As members of +he Unifed Sfafes Armed Forces you do noi' have fo be fold of fhe magniiude and imporfance of ihe +aslr ihal' lies before you. A+ everyl base, slafion and iraining field of fhe Unifed S+a+es Army Air Forces you are preparing yourselves for 'rhe greal' fesi of arms which will prove lhal' 'lhe forces of democracy can desiroy lhe evil power of The lofaliiarian naiions. Soon you will ialce your places as Bombardiers, Navigalors, Pilols, and Gunners alongside of our allies who have been fighfing so valianrly. As mechanics and supply personnel, and in every 'rype of ground duiy, you will have +he viial responsibili'ry of malcing sure fhaf our airplanes will be second 'ro none. We can win ihis war, and we will win ii, buf only if every officer and enlisied man puis forih all 'rhe forfifude and resourcefulness ihai Americans have always displayed in lime of war. There are frying limes ahead, limes ihal' will +es+ 'lhe meHle of all of us, buf l am confidenl' ihal fhe personnel of my command will acquil' fhemselves wiih honor and dislinclion, no mailer where and when we shall meei fhe enemy. General, U. S, Army. Commanding General, Army Air Forces. EE EH HE HY

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lUl Wifh fhe reorganizafion of fhe aviafion sefup of fhe Unifed Sfafes Army, on March 9, l942, has come fhe lafesf phase of fhe developmenf of fhe nafion's milifary aviafion from ifs groping, experimenfal days fo ifs presenf sfafus as an aufonomous unif wifhin fhe sfrucfure of fhe Army. The sfory of fhe rapid growfh of our nafion's milifary aviafion, from an unimporfanf subdivision of fhe Signal Corps before fhe firsf World War, fhrough fhe period when if was a corps of ifs own, fhe Air Corps, and now fo a degree of fremend- ous imporfance as fhe Army Air Forces, co-equal in prom- inence wifh all fhe ofher Army combaf arms combined, is a sfirring saga of courage and inspirafion, of indomifable will and far-sighfed genius, all wifhin fhe shorf space of 33 years. The ufilizafion of aviafion by fhe Army, however, anfe- dafes l909, fhe official birfh year. Civilian aeronaufs made observafions from capfive balloons for fhe Army of fhe Pofomac during fhe American Civil War, and lafer fhe Army purchased a balloon in France which was used in Cuba during fhe Spanish-American War. lf was nof, however, unfil fhe experimenfs of Langley, Maxim, Lillienfhal, Bleriof, fhe Wrighfs and ofhers had focused affenfion on fhe possi- EVELIIPME T UF THE llllllll bilifies of heavier-fhan-air machines fhaf fhe Army consid- ered seriously fhis newesf milifary adiuncf. lf was noi' unfil 1-he Wrighfs had clemonsfrafed fhaf a heavier-fhan-air ma- chine was nof only feasible, buf pracfical fhal' fhe Army adverfised for bids for fhe consfrucfion of an airplane. An aeronaufical division of fhe Army was creafed in 'l'he Office of fhe Chief Signal Officer of fhe Army on July l, l907. The Wrighf brofhers produced an airplane which was delivered fo Forf Myer, Virginia, on Augusi' 28, l908. lf was a biplane wifh a wing spread of abouf 40 feef and a wing area of some 500 square feef weighing approximafely 800 pounds. The laferal confrols were affecfed by warping fhe wings. The double elevafor and fhe rudder were sup- porfed in fronf of fhe wings by an oufrigger. The landing gear consisfed of fwo runners, or slcids, and fhe plane was launched from a monorail. Affer a series of disappoinfing accidenfs and many fesfs, fhe Board of Officers appoinfed fo examine fhe plane made a favorable recommendafion on Augusf 2, I909, and fhe Chief Signal Officer approved fhe recommendafion fhe same day. This clafe is considered fhe birfhday of fhe Army Air Forces. While fhus inaugurafing