Existing comment:
William Lendrum "Billy" Mitchell (1879-1936)
A Wisconsin native, Billy Mitchell rose through Army ranks to brigadier general during World War I. He commanded a force of more than 1,500 planes during the air offensive at St. Mihiel -- the largest combat air armada ever assembled up to that time. During that offensive, he piloted the Span XVI displayed next to this statue. After the war, Mitchell led a force of Army bombers in tests to demonstrate the vulnerability of naval ships to aerial attacks. Their sinking of the captured German battleship Ostfriesland (depicted on the statue's base) sparked spirited debate between the Army and the Navy over future military funding.
A staunch and outspoken airpower advocate, Mitchell was convicted of insubordination during a highly publicized court-martial in 1925. He resigned his commission but continued to press for a powerful national Air Force. |