We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.
Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and to live honorably, so help me God.
— "Honor Code Handbook"
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About
General Mitchell On Sept. 12, 1918, Col. William Mitchell, US Army Air Service, led a major force of some 1,100 Allied aircraft in a combined arms operation of air and ground forces during the American Expeditionary Force’s attack on the St. Mihiel salient in France under the command of Gen. John J. Pershing. This battle was the debut of the American army fighting as a single unit on European soil. Mitchell was promoted to Brigadier General by order of Pershing in recognition of his command accomplishments during the St. Mihiel offensive and the Meuse Argonne offensive. After World War I, General Mitchell served in Washington and then became Commander, First Provisional Air Brigade, in 1921. That summer, he led joint Army and Navy demonstration attacks as bombs delivered from aircraft sank several captured German vessels, including the SS Ostfriesland. His dedication to speaking the truth about airpower led to a court martial trial in 1925. Mitchell was convicted and resigned from the service in February 1926. Before retirement, through personal association and through his writing, he had inspired and encouraged a cadre of younger airmen including future General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold, Gen. Carl Spaatz, and Lt. Gen. Ira Eaker, who led the two million man Army Air Forces in World War II. General Mitchell died in 1936, before he could see his conception of airpower vindicated in World War II. One of the pallbearers attending Mitchell’s funeral in Wisconsin was the then-unknown Col. George Catlett Marshall, who had been the Army’s chief ground-force planner of the St. Mihiel offensive. The Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies seeks to honor the leadership of General William Mitchell through research and writing on airpower and its role in the security of America. |
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History of the Billy Mitchell (Squadron) Chapter Air Force Association (AFA) by Chuck Marotske, Life Member (1953) National AFA Inception - 1946 No History of the Billy Mitchell (Squadron) Chapter would be complete without a brief introduction to the Air Force Association. In early 1946, six officers from the newly formed Air Force Association (AFA) met with U.S. President Harry S. Truman at the White House. The six AFA officers consisted of General Jimmy Doolittle (president), Willis S. Fitch (executive director), Forrest Vosler (national director), Thomas G. Lanphier, Jr. (third vice president), Meryll M. Frost (second vice president), and actor James (Jimmy) M. Stewart (national director). Columbus, Ohio was selected as the site for the first AFA national convention on September 15-16, 1947 with U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the keynote speaker. The focus of this convention was on selecting a name for the organization from among twenty-one names presented. At this time, AFA chapters were known as squadrons with the title, wing commander, or simply, Commander (Cmdr.) rather than the traditional leadership title of president for each squadron. General Billy Mitchell and First AFA - 1926 It is interesting to note that in 1926, General Billy Mitchell (ret. WWI) founded a group known as the Air Force Association headed by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker (ret. WWI). This 1926 AFA organization lasted only a short time due, in large measure, to the fact that there were too few WWI military aviation participants or supporters. Billy Mitchell Squadron – 1947 Chartered on June 3, 1947, the Billy Mitchell Squadron, boasts of being one of the first ten chapters in the newly organized AFA. The first wing commander (president) was L.A. Larson of Milwaukee. By May 1948, Wisconsin had two squadrons, one in Milwaukee and the other in Appleton. Later, the national AFA published the names of three charter squadrons in Wisconsin. They are, the Billy Mitchell Squadron (Milwaukee), with Cmdr. L.A. (Duke) Larson; Truax Field Squadron (Madison), with Cmdr. Arlie M. Mucks; and the Des Jardins Squadron (Green Bay), with Cmdr. Arthur E. Norgaard. There was no further published report of a squadron in Appleton. Thus, one may infer that Appleton could have merged with Green Bay. All three squadrons continued to grow in membership and activities to support and preserve this history of aviation. Charter Members – 1947 Current and active charter members of the Billy Mitchell Squadron include: Max Harner A.J. (Tony) LaPorte Russell Kemmeter Olga Olsen Edgar (Zip) Kynaston Frank Suess Arnold Lamberg Joseph Sydejko Tony LaPorte now deceased, held his membership card - signed by AFA founder, General Jimmy Doolittle. |
Billy Mitchell Chapter in Wisconsin in one of the first State/Chapters formed in the Air Force Association on 3 June 1947. To the right is a copy of the original charter, although now faded, shows the signature of James Doolittle. |
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The United States Air Force Academy
On April 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower
signed into law the bill authorizing the establishment of the United
States Air Force Academy, dedicated to the motivation and training of
career officers for the Air Force. On April 1, 1979, the 25th
anniversary of the United States Air Force Academy was observed.
From1959 through 1978, there have been 315 Wisconsin Cadets graduated.
So on April 1, 1979, Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus, proclaimed this a
special day of observance. On April 1, 2014, the Air Force Academy celebrated its 60th anniversary. CADET HONOR CODE
This oath remains unchanged since its adoption in 1984 and consists of a
statement of the code, followed by a resolution to live
honorably:
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