Evening star., 1942-10-03
Arnold Decorated
On Return From
- 81.
Record Flight
Flies Pacific Route
In IS Hours, s. Minutes;
Crew Also Honored

1t. Gen. Henry H. arnold, chief
OF Army Air Forces, flew into Boiling
Field at AIS pm. yesterday aboard an
Army transport plane after a record
breaking flight from Brisbane, Aus
tralia. The official elapsed time for
the trip was II hours and IA min
utes.
Immediately on returning from his
undisclosed mission, Gen. Arnold was
presented with the Distinguished
Service Medal and IA members of the
crew received the Air Medal Pres
entation of the awards was made
by Robert Lovett, Assistant Secretary
of War for Air. Gen. George C.
Marshall, Chief of Staff of the Army,
was also on hand to greet the flyers
after their grueling journey from
the Southwest Pacific war zones.
That part of the flight from Bris-
bane to Hamilton Field, in San
Francisco, was made in IS hours,
So minutes (actual flying time) to
smash the worlds record set by 1t.
Gen. George Brett, who made the
trip in a Bit in 36 hours, 10 min
utes last August.
Gen. Arnold was understood to
have conferred with Admiral Chester
Nimitz and Vice Admiral Robert
Ghormley somewhere in the Pacific
No previous announcement regard
ing the 22,O00-mile round trip to the
Pacific war theater had been made.
Leadership Praised.
In acknowledging the awards to
himself and his men, Gen. Arnold
described the flight as new chap
ter in American aircraft history"
There can be no doubt that the
durability and flight performance of
the C-87 Gin which the trip was
made) is today superior" he said.
ITO the crew members of this
record-shattering trip may offer
my congratulations for a job well
done-a job that all of our men are
doing equally well in the four cor
ners Of the world as members of the
Army Air Forces"
During a brief stopover in San
Francisco, just before he hoped off
for Washington, the air chief re-
vealed that American flyers were
knocking down Jap Zero fighters at
the rate of two and half for every
American ship lost
Fighter Planes Praised.
"Our fighter planes are doing a
splendid job," Gen. Arnold said. I'm
combat they are bringing down an
overall average OF two and a half
Zeros to one of our planes lost
In August this average took a tre-
mendous leap of five to one. This
is a record that speaks for itself.
Our bombers in the South Pa
ciflc are in a class by themselves
Pilots swear by the Flying Fortresses
and the B-24s. The Flying Fortress
is the toughest plane in the air
as has been proved time and again
in Java, the Solomons and recently
IN Europe. Japs. heat and tropical
storms are all taken in stride with
almost no combat losses of big
planes.
-'Si ,uli WV liluJll UC Sdlu lOI lIl6
boys who are flying these planes in
that theater of war. They have
won and are winning battles and
returning to their bases under stag
gering hazards
Gen. Arnold. who acted as com
manding officer on the flight, was
lauded, in the citation accompany
ing his medal, for "eXceptional lead
ership, courage and vision" The
full citation read:
1t Gen. Henry H. Arnold for
extraordinary achievement while par
ticipating in an aerial flight from
Brisbane, Australia, to Boiling Field
D. c., from September 90 1912. to
October 2, 1912. A total elapsed time
Of II hours and IA minutes.
"AS commanding general of the
Army Air Forces. and as commander
of this flight, Gen. Arnold gave
a conspicuous demonstration of lead
ership, the strategic mobility OF
long-range Army aircraft and the
ability of the high air commander
to maintain intimate contact with
his units in the field. This cutstand-
ing fight reflects great credit or
the military forces of the United
States"
Includes Gen. STREET..
Members of the crew who were
decorated with the Air Medal wer
Brig. Gen. ST. Cleir Street,, For
Myer. Va: Col William NJ Ritchie
Helena, Ark: Col. C. P. Cabell, Dal
las, Tex; Maj. Alva Ping, the pilot
San Anselmo, Calf: Maj. Charlie
F. Stannall, Denver; Maj. C. A
Peterson. Fort Myer; Capt. Marshal
A. Elkins, Waco Tex; Capt. Rober
F. Arnoldus. the navigator, l.
Grande. Greg: First 1t. E. A. Nc
Cabe. 1901 Twenty-firs street Sc
Washington; Second 1t. Carl A
Hansman. Los Angeles; Staff Sergt
Robert A. Rhodes, Duncansville, Pa
Staff Sergt. James w. Hemenwa,
King Hill. Idaho; Sergt. Robert F
Fulton, Clarinda. Iowa, and Corp
Robert Canapi, Kalamazoo, Mich.
The fight was made in a consoli
dated C-S7. a conversion of the Lib
orator B-24.
The arrival of Gen. Arnold an
his party climaXed the celebration
of the 25th anniversary of the found
ing of Boiling Field A guard G
honor and an Army Air Forces ban
had assembled to greet the returnin
party.
Earlier in the day, enlisted me
at the field, enjoying half holida
in honor of the anniversary, partici
pated in a series of field and trac
events. Col Lewis r. Parker, com
manding officer at the field, reviewe
the history of the Army air base in
radio address over WJSV at pm
Two dances were held at the fiel
last night.
Allied Rnmhers httark