Henry H. Arnold Military person

Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the grades of General of the Army and General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, the only Air Force general to hold five-star rank, and the only person to hold a five-star rank in two different U.S. military services. Arnold was also the founder of Project RAND, which evolved into one of the world's largest non-profit global policy think tanks, the RAND Corporation, and one of the founders of Pan American World Airways.Instructed in flying by the Wright Brothers, Arnold was one of the first military pilots worldwide, and one of the first three rated pilots in the history of the United States Air Force. He overcame a fear of flying that resulted from his experiences with early flight, supervised the expansion of the Air Service during World War I, and became a protégé of Gen. Billy Mitchell.Arnold rose to command the Army Air Forces immediately prior to U.S. entry into World War II and directed its hundred-fold expansion from an organization of little more than 20,000 men and 800 first-line combat aircraft into the largest and most powerful air force in the world. An advocate of technological research and development, his tenure saw the development of the intercontinental bomber, the jet fighter, the extensive use of radar, global airlift and atomic warfare as mainstays of modern air power.Arnold's most widely used nickname, "Hap," was short for "Happy," attributed variously to work associates when he moonlighted as a stunt pilot or to his wife, who began using the nickname in her correspondence in 1931 following the death of Arnold's mother. He was called Harley by his family during his youth, and "Sunny" by both his mother and wife. Arnold was known to his West Point classmates as "Pewt" or "Benny". By his immediate subordinates and headquarters staff he was referred to as "The Chief."

Personal facts

Birth dateJune 25, 1886
Birth place
Gladwyne Pennsylvania
Date of deathJanuary 15, 1950
Place of death
Sonoma California
Resting place
Arlington National Cemetery

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Military person

award
Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)
Legion of Merit
Air Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
military operations
World War II
World War I
military branch
United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Corps
Infantry Branch (United States)
Aeronautical Division U.S. Signal Corps
Aviation Section U.S. Signal Corps
United States Army Air Forces
military command
1st Wing GHQ Air Force
20px U.S. Army Air Forces
left20px Twentieth Air Force
service numberO-2255

Henry H. Arnold on Wikipedia

External resources

  1. http://archive.is/20121212024025/http:/www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=7639
  2. http://arnold-air.org/aas/namesake
  3. http://aupress.maxwell.af.mil/Books/Griffith/Griffith.pdf
  4. http://digital-library.usma.edu/libmedia/archives/cullum/VOLUME_9_cullum.pdf
  5. http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108025/major-general-follett-bradley.aspx
  6. http://www.af.mil/information/heritage/person.asp?dec=Early_Years&pid=123006476
  7. http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-090601-130.pdf
  8. http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-090601-134.pdf
  9. http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100927-038.pdf
  10. http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-101105-005.pdf