Evening star., 1950-01-16

Il o41h was 4SoSo3S&4eAoS0 ny oSS
became independent.
spanned the development of mill
tary aviation from puny infancy
to a vigorous and hardy manhood
when it stood in the van of mod
ern weapons.
In 1912, five years out of West
Point, young 1t. Arnold scared
to the incredible height of 6,540
feet GLOW altitude for today's
giant bombers), an unprecedented
feat hailed in headlines through
out the country. He lived to head
the far-ranging Goth Air Force Of
B-29s whose ordinary operational
altitude is between 10000 and
10000 feet.
Gen. Arnold, a native of Glad
wyne, Pa, was born on June Is,
1886 and graduated from the
United States Military Academy
in 1907.
Served in Philippines.
The infantry was Gen. Arnold's
first service, and he was stationed
with the 29th Infantry in the
Philippines until 1909. then for
two years at Governors Island,
N. Y.
In April, 1911, he entered on
his real career. The infant Air
Force was then Just a minor,
rather experimental branch of the
Signal Corps. and officers who en-
tered it were considered care
less of life and limb. Hap"
Arnold was one of the youngsters
chosen to learn to fly under the
celebrated Wrights at their field
near Dayton. In three months he
had learned all they could teach
him of the tricks and intricacies
of the 40-horsepower, two-propel-
ler, chain-driven crates" which
then were called "airships.'
The Army had just established
its first flying field on leased
1000 acres near College Park,
and Hap" Arnold was assigned
there, along with a handful of
intrepid young men, to explore
the future - if any of military
flying. People used to drive out
from Washington and Baltimore
to watch the youthful dare-devils
take their crude machines aloft.
Accidents were many and the cas-
ualty rate was high.
Flew on Maneuvers.
In June of 1912 the future gen.
eral made air history by the alti-
tude flight referred to earlier.
Later in the summer he flew on
maneuvers with the Regular Army
and National Guard in New York
and Connecticut. Then, in Octo-
ber, he made real aviation his
tory.
On October 9 he pushed his
crude biplane into the skies over
College Park and set off on a tri-
angular course which took him
over Washington Barracks. Fort
Myer, Va, and return.
His mission" was to observe
the disposition of cavalry units
and their supply trains at Fort
Myer and return to his command
ing officer. 1t. Arnold stepped
from his plane with the report to
receive warm congratulations on
his "long-distance" flight.
Near the end of 1912 the young
officer was sent to Fort Riley,
Kans., where he chalked up anoth-
er first" He was detailed to OBJ
serve field artillery fire and radio
it to the batteries on the ground
"a technique still used in modern
warfare for "Spotting" positions.
Got Administrative Post.
His next assignment, in Novem-
ber, was in the Office of the Chief
Signal Officer in Washington, a
tour of duty which gave him
some insight into the administra-
tive side of Army aviation. But
in 1918 1t. Arnold's sojourn in
the air world seemed ended, for
he was transferred back to the In
fantry and was off again for a
second tour of duty in the Philip
pines where he remained with the
18th Infantry until the eve of
Americas entrance into World
War I in 1916.
February, 1917, found the fu-
ture Air Forces chief at the newly
established aviation school at
San Diego, Calf. With war clouds
on the the horizon he was sent
to the Panama Canal Zone to
organize an air service there. He
commanded it until May when he
was called back to Washington
and placed in charge of the in
formation service of the aviation
division of the Signal Corps.
The then Maj. Arnold did not
share the thrills of combat flying
in France, where the use of air
power as a real force in warfare
was tested for the first time in
history. His long experience in
aviation-compared with most air
officers of that period-made him
too valuable in administrative
work. He spent the war era in
Washington, where he advanced
to assistant director of the Air
Corps with the temporary rank of