Evening star., 1950-01-16
Gen. ArnoId's Career
Sfemmed From Earliest
Days Of AirpIanes
CONTINUED From First Page. :,

reSLlng at funeral pdrlOr In
Sonoma, Calf. 1t will be taken
to nearby Hamilton Field and
flown to Washington for services
tentatively set for pm. Thurs
day at Fort Myer Chapel.
President Truman sent his own
plane, the Independence" to Cal
ifornia today to pick up Mrs. Ar
mold and other members of the
family. Press Secretary Charles
G. Ross said the Independence
will return here at 8 am. Wed
nesday. two hours ahead of the
plane bearing Gen. Arnold's body
The Nations military leaders
from Defense Secretary johnson
down, had unstinted praise fol
the man who became air chief Sep.
tember 20, 1888, was made the frs
four-star air general in 1943, and
the only f1ve-star air general 6
year later.
Wrights Taught Him to Fly.
They praised him as the man
most responsible for Americas all
strength, recalling how the Wright
brothers taught him to fly, how he
braved the hazards of early-day
flying at College Park, Md. They
said he was key figure in the
Allied defeat of the Axis.
The genial. smiling leader, who
got tough on quick order when
he wanted things done, never quit
campaigning for a powerful air
arm as deterrent to war. When
he retired to his peaceful ranch
1t was with the avowed intention
OF Sitting under an oak tree,
looking at white-faced CATTLE" but
he remained vital force through
his writing and appearances be-
lore congressional committees.
Recently he wrote series of 10
articles for The Star, warning
that civilization itself may be the
price of another war, reaf1rming
his belief in the B-36 bomber,
visualizing complete divisions be-
ing dropped behind enemy lines.
He called strategic bombing,
which he directed with deadly eff
feet against Germany and Japan,
still a must technique until
science develops something more
formidable. He saw the need for
Keeping ready with strategic air
force second to none, and with
highly technical units which re-
quire many months to train.
Recalled Mitchell's Struggle.
In the story of his career
"Global Missions" published last
September, Gen. Arnold warned
that far reaching bomber
strength is the only thing Russia
fears.
He recalled the losing struggle
OF Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell for
greater air power and how. in
1912. Gen. Mitchell reported that
Japan had 10 airplanes to the
United States four.
Just before his retirement the
general submitted an annual re-
port that, even in the wake of
recently dropped atom bombs.
made startling reading.
He pictured in the next war a
weird pattern of robot weapons
and supersonic stratosphere ships
capable of launching 5000 miles
per-hour atomic bomb rockets.
He talked of the phenomena with
such conviction that it did not
sound at all fantastic.
Had Three Heart Attacks.
Although he had suffered three
heart attacks since his retirement,
Gen. Arnold was active to the
last.
Occasionally he wrote a column
for the Sonoma (Calif.) Index
Tribune, the last of which Mrs.
Arnold took to the newspaper Of
flee December % with the word
that Hap would like you to run
this If you have the space"
He wrote that "the people of the
United States should thank Al
might God for the many good
things We are able to enjoy" and
hoped that before another Christ
mas arrives there will be as much
talk Of peace as there is now of
ways and means of fighting an
other war"
At Christmas time he and Mrs,
Arnold took gifts to the boys of
the Archbishop Hanna Center in
Sonoma Valley and remembered
school children and many of the
needy families in the area.
Attended Party Saturday.
Saturday night he attended a
party at the home of Walter Muir
ply. publisher of the Index
Tribune.
When he arose yesterday, he
told Mrs. Arnold that he felt
pretty good"
But shortly thereafter he began
breathing heavily and collapsed.
He died at 4:24 am. (EST) of
a coronary occlusion.
The Arnolds' three sons, 1t.
David L. Arnold of March Field.
Calf; Col. Henry H. Arnold, jr..
of Fort Leavenworth, Kans., and
Capt. William B. Arnold of
Banana River, Fla, left their
posts Immediately to fly to the
ranch.
A daughter, Mrs. Lois Snowden
of Corpus Christi, Tex, also sur
wives.
Gen. Arnold was one of the few
airmen in the world whose career
LOST.
HACK CunVTT MP nAr Iort a. -.