author
Henry Harley Arnold
1886–1950
A central architect of American air power, this pioneering aviator helped turn military flight from a risky experiment into a decisive force in World War II. Taught to fly by the Wright brothers, he later became the only person to hold the rank of General of the Air Force.
1 Audiobook
Bill Bruce on Forest Patrol
by Henry Harley Arnold
About the author
Born in Pennsylvania in 1886, Henry H. "Hap" Arnold graduated from West Point in 1907 and began his Army career in the infantry before moving into aviation. He learned to fly in the early days of military aviation, when aircraft were still new and unreliable, and became one of the Army's pioneering airmen.
Arnold played a major role in building American air strength between the world wars and then, during World War II, served as commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces. In that role he oversaw a huge expansion of air operations, training, and aircraft production, helping shape the air campaigns against Germany and Japan.
After the war, his influence continued as American air power moved toward independence as its own service. Promoted to the five-star rank later designated General of the Air Force, Arnold remains one of the key figures in the history of U.S. military aviation. He died in California in 1950.