Evening star., 1937-02-07
AIR BRANCH NOW
HAS LINE OFFICER
Brig. Gen. Pratt First Per-
manent General Officer
Named.
By joseph S. EdgertOn.


4 = officer of the line of the Army
marks the coming of age Of the mill
tary aviation service as q separate
arm of the military forces.
The new general officer is Brig
Gen. Henry c. Pratt, commanding
the End Wing of the General Head
quarters Air Force, with station at
Langley Field, Va
With his appointment the Air
Corps, for the first time, has become
an arm of the service old enough
to contain officers with sufficient serv-
ice to be eligible for appointment as
general officers of the line, it was
pointed out.
Gen. Pratt previously has held tenn
porary rank as brigadier general,
both as assistant chief Of the Army
Air Corps in command of the material
division at Wright Field, Dayton,
Ohio, and in his present post as wing
commander.
Gen. Pratt, who started his military
career as a Cavalryman. began his
aviation service in the World War.
During the past decade he has served
in some of the highest and most re-
sponsible posts in the Air Corps.
dorm at Fort Stanton, N. Mex,
September 2, 1882. Gen. Pratt
was appointed to the United States
Military Academy from Wisconsin.
August /, 1900, and upon graduation
in June, 1904, was appointed Sec
ond lieutenant Of Cavalry. He saw
his first service with the 4th Cavalry
at Fort Leavenworth. Kans.
Lieut. Pratt came to Washington as
aide to President Taft and assistant
to the officer in charge Of public
buildings and grounds. Completing
this duty, he became aide to Maj.
Gen. Arthur Murray, serving on his
staff until March 9, 1912.
He returned to the field with the
ist Cavalry, first at San Francisco.
then in the Yosemite Valley and
later to Monterey, Calf.
While serving as assistant adjutant
of the E Paso district, in 1916, he
received his promotion to captaincy.
With the World War just about to
start, Capt. Pratt was ordered, IN
March. 1917, to duty in Hawaii and
reioined his old regiment, the 4th
Cavalry. at Schofield Barracks.
He was transferred to the Signal
Corps for duty with the AVIATION sec
ton on August 5, 1917, and IN the
latter part of october returned to the
United States to attend the big avla-
ton training school at Kelly Field,
Tex. There he served less than
month. and was sent to Call Field, at
Wichita, as post adjutant.
In January of 1918 he was back in
Washington for duty with the Division
of Military Aeronautics until OCTOBER
10. 1918, when he sailed for France.
He was on temporary duty with the
A. E. F. in connection with special
aviation activities until December,
1918. when he was ordered back to
the United States as member OF the
Board of Organization at Washington.
He commanded Kelly Field in the
Spring of 1919 and then served with
the Advisory Board of the Air Service
until August, part of the time as as
sistant and acting executive.
CAPT. PRATT attended the General
~ Staff College in Washington until
June 80, 1920 The following day he
was promoted to major, Regular Army,
and during the following three months
he again was in command of Kelly
Field.
After duty as air officer of the 9th
Corps Area, Fort Sam Houston, Tex,
he attended the advanced lombard
ment training course at Kelly Field,
graduating on June 80, 1921. He then
went to the School of the Line at Fort
Leavenworth, Kans, graduating in
June, 1922, with distinguished rec
ord. He next completed the General
Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, and
the Army War College, graduating
June 80, 1924.
Maj. Pratt then became chief Of the
Training and War Plans Division, Of
flee of the chief of Air Corps, to May
81, 1923, following which he COM
manded the observation post at
Mitchell Field, NJ Y. While at Mitchell
he received his promotion to the grade
Of lieutenant colonel, Regular Army.
In July, 1929, Col. Pratt went to
Hawaii, where he served as depart
ment air officer to July 10, 1880. Four
days later he was appointed tempo
rary brigadier general, and returned to
the United States as commanding
officer of Wright Field, Ohio
On March 10, 1885, Gen. Pratt as
sumed command of the I'd Wing,
General Headquarters Air Force, at
Langley Field, his present post He
had been relieved from duty as as
sistant chief of the Air Corps July 16,
1884, reverting to his regular rank of
lieutenant colonel, but became brig
adler, temporary, again when he went
to Langley.
Coo1e Eo-:1~, C1o:,,