Billy Mitchell's Perception Of Air Power

361 Words2 Pages
When it comes to air power, the name William ‘Billy’ Mitchell brings to mind different images. Billy Mitchell had long understood the potential of air power before his contemporaries. Most people saw him as a hero who gave the United States strong advice that made them field the world’s largest air force to fight in World War II. On the other hand, other people saw him as an ambitious extremist and egocentric person who brutally punished anyone who opposed his views on air power. The barnstorming era of the 1920s was usually referred to as the Billy Mitchell era because he was the first to loudly proclaim the need for strong air defenses. Mitchell was born in Nice, France, in 1879, and was the son of a U.S. senator. At the age of 18, he enlisted