The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-27
ONE U. s. GENERAL
IS NOT YET FORTY
Benjamin D, FouIOiS One Of the
First Of Our Flying Officers,

FORT LEAVENWORTH. Kan,
Sept Il, The great increase in the
United States army, the creation OF the
national army and the mastering into
federal service OF the national guard
units OF the different states, together
with the reorganization OF the fighting
forces under the European plan, has
brought rapid promotions for officer.
Young men who catered the provisional'
officers training class last January
from civil life are III many cases cap
,alns in the regular army. Hundreds Of
others were promoted from second to
first lieutenant Immediately after Join
ing their commands.
While many examples OF the rapid
promotion in the army called to the
attention OF officers at Fort lcavcn-
worth have been remarkable, that OF
Maj BENJAMIN d FouloiS signal corps.
nominated TO become a breadicr geu
eral, probably SufpaSscs all records in
the United States army.
The Army's Youngest General.
The promotion OF MAJOR fouoiS,
= while temporary, is expected to be
made permanent, officers say. in view
Of the TACT the aviation section i, being
enormously increased and probably will
be one Of the major branches OF the
service even after the war is over.
MAJOR foulois will not Ia ~ wears old
until December, making him the Young
est general in the United States army.
Most officers would consider them
selves extremely fortunate If they
reached the rank Of MAJOR at that age
MAJOR fouloiS probably has done
more for the advancement Of aviation
in the army than any other single Of
ficer and has an international rcputa
ton as an aviator He was among the
first officers of the United States army
to take up flying Immediately after
graduating from the Fort Lcavcnworth
school
Major EololS entered the army as a
private when ~ years old and served
IN Porto Rico during that campaign
In 1899 he enlisted in the Nineteenth
United States infantry, serving two
years in the Philippines, at the close
OF which he earned his second lieu
tenants commission and was assigned
to the Twenty-fourh infantry In 1900
he was named first lieutenant and as
signed 20 the Seventeenth infantry.
On returning TO the states, he en-
tered the army service schools at Fort
Lcavenwor,h graduating from the in
fantry school and in 1908 graduated
from ibg army Ctupal srhn,l
Flew With Orville Wright
In 1909. when the Wrigh, brothers
were ptriecting their machines, he &C
companied Orville Wright on what was
probably the first cross-oountry flight
In an aIrplane travelling a distance OF
ten miles, which az that time was a
record The next year Major FoulOis
created quite a sensation When he trav
eled 10 miles in two hours and seven
minutes.
lie was promoted to captain in l9li
and MAJOR in l9l7 II is a long lump
from captain to hrigadicr general. bu,
this has been the feat Of Major foulois
whose commission in the latter grade
will rank from July a. 1917 when
confirmed
Major Foulois was the first aviator
10 receive pilots license for a
heavicr-t -than-air machine In 1911 he
was placed in charge OF all aviation
connected with the national guard and
previous to that had charge of the two
airplanes sent to San Antonio at the
outbreak OF the frs, Mexican trouble
He was with the United States forces
on the border again IN 'qlh and in