Berthing offshore near Pearl Harbor, this Nimitz class carrier is named after the man who is credited as the "Father of Modern Air Power". General Billy Mitchell was Court-Martialed for HIS ACCUSATIONS of Army & Navy negligence for the destruction of the USN Airship Shanandoah. He was compelled to enable the NAVY and ARMY see the one WHO CONTROLS the air controls the oceans. He believed that the US Naval Aircraft Carrier was not used to it's full potential, he encouraged Congress and the War Department of the urgent need of Torpedo bombers. After his conviction in the late '20's, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell resigned. He spoke of a the USN having a fleet of carriers with an entire sqaudron of warbirds on the decks and below. He spoke of the power of the Air Corp with bomber wings that were land based and close to the front lines to support the ground effort by the Army with warplanes able to reach across the globe to engage the enemy. As far as I am concerned; HE IS A NAVAL, AIR FORCE, & ARMY HERO.. Gen. Mitchell died of pneumonia in 1936. In WW-II, Brig. Gen. Mitchell was vindicated during the (Jimmy was a Lt. Col.) Gen. Jimmy Dolittle raid over Tokyo less than 6 months after the sneak attack by the Japanese Imperial Navy on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. This was almost a complete suicide mission that succeeded in showing our enemy that "WE TOO COULD REACH OUT AND TOUCH". Gen. Billy Mitchell's ideas were proven time & time again. Without this American hero, our Navy, our Army, and our Air Force might not exist today without his vision & success in convincing a few brave and honest men that his ideas were correct. Thank God they finally listened to him. He was also honored with something never done before or SINCE! The ONLY AIRMAN to have a Combat Warplane named after him, The B-25 Mitchell Bomber. This isn't from the web, but my studies in schools & my father's teachings of great men in history. If I was incorrect in any place or statement, I am sorry. I just tried to put it in lay terms to the best of my memory.
by tomcatdriver2007 (2007-06-20 12:55:38)
by tomcatdriver2007 (2007-06-20 12:55:38)
