#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran William Mitchell

Col. William “Billy” Mitchell was born in December 1879 in Nice, France, to Harriet Danforth and John Mitchell, who served in the 54th Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil War and was eventually a U.S. Senator. When his family came back to the U.S., they raised him in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

From a young age, Mitchell was an outdoorsman and adventurer; he enjoyed hunting, fishing and horsemanship. After attending two universities, he enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army’s 1st Wisconsin Infantry in 1898 to serve in the Spanish-American War. He would go on to serve in various places around the world—from Alaska to the Philippines—and completed many tasks, including “constructing a telegraph system across endless stretches of ice and snow.”

When Orville Wright sold an aircraft to the U.S. Army in 1908, Mitchell was serving as a captain and observed the newly introduced contraption. Many servicemen were hesitant to use aircraft in the military, especially since few Americans had experience piloting aircraft, but Mitchell was fascinated by it. He believed that men would “someday wage war in the skies.”

Mitchell took private flying lessons in 1916 after being denied training through the military because of his age. He also served in World War I as an observer and commanded air forces in France. By 1917, aircraft had become an important, but somewhat unrecognized, facet of military combat. Because he realized this new apparatus’ potential, Mitchell made it his mission over his 27-year military career to change the use of airpower in the U.S. military.

Mitchell pleaded with his superiors in the U.S. military to create an independent branch for airpower, which caused him to be demoted to third in command of the American pilots by Gen. John Pershing. He was finally given the chance to prove the importance of aircraft in the military by attempting to sink several Navy ships. After two attempts, his demonstration proved successful with the sinking of at least two ships, including the supposedly unsinkable Ostfriesland. Despite his detractors’ numerous attempts to prove the weaknesses of airpower, Mitchell exemplified its strengths; however, his defiance of the status quo led him to be demoted once again from brigadier general to colonel.

In September 1925, the airship Shenandoah embarked on a Navy publicity flight despite the requested postponement due to severe weather. After many were killed in its crash, Mitchell responded by saying these men lost their lives because of “admirals who don’t know and don’t care about air safety. The high command of both the Army and Navy are guilty of incompetence, criminal negligence and almost treasonable administration of the national defense.” Mitchell’s response to events and continued advocacy for airpower led to his court martial in November 1925. Convicted of insubordination and suspended without pay, he resigned from the Army Air Service in 1926. He continued to advocate for U.S. airpower and warned of the impact that other countries advanced airpower would have on the U.S. if they didn’t take proper precautions.

Mitchell was married to his first wife, Caroline, from 1903 to 1922, then to his second wife, Elizabeth, from 1923 to 1936; he had five children. Mitchell died in February 1936 due to heart problems and influenza. For his military service, he received many awards and recognitions, including a U.S. Distinguished Service Cross and a Congressional Gold Medal. Buildings and aircraft have been named in his honor: the Milwaukee County Airport was renamed to General Mitchell Field, now known as General Mitchell International Airport, and a B-25 bomber aircraft was named the North American B-25 Mitchell. His impact on military aviation ultimately led him to be known as the “Father of the U.S. Air Force.”

We honor his service.

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Writer: Tayler Rairigh

Editors: Delaney Tracy, Ashley Shaut

Researcher: John Bergstrom

Graphic Designer: Charles Hundley