Langley AFB, Va. -- Regarded as the father of the U.S. Air Force, William 'Billy' Mitchell was born into a world of endless possibilities. Alexander Graham Bell's telephone was being displayed for the first time, a U.S. Army enlisted men were paid $13.00 per month and airplanes were merely an aspiration of gravity-defiers.
To strengthen his vision, he demonstrated to the world air superiority during the airpower trials on July 21, 1921. On that day, he and the 1st Provisional Air Brigade from Langley Field, Virginia dropped bombs on and sunk the famous, unsinkable, Ostfriesland, a captured German battleship, 60 miles off the Virginia Capes.
To commemorate Mitchell's accomplishment, Langley Air Force Base hosted a reenactment of the bombing of Ostfriesland marking the 95th anniversary of this historical event.
At age 18 and the eldest of 10 children, Mitchell, enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War in 1898. He progressed through the junior officer ranks and held various positons in leadership such as being the youngest general staff officer, becoming the deputy commander of Army Aviation and ultimately an Air Service pilot.
Air Service is where Mitchell got his first taste of flying, his desire for flight grew, so much so that he decided to become a pilot. He did not meet the U.S. Army age requirement for aviation training, so he procured a civilian flying license. Now licensed to fly, he was exposed to the limitless possibilities of airpower and its benefits; he served in Cuba, the Philippines, Alaska and in Europe. He was even allowed to study strategy abroad in France.
"Billy Mitchell is one of the most important pieces of Air Force history, he was extremely passionate, in a time when no one else was, about airpower," said Joshua Lashley, 1st Fighter Wing historian. "So passionate that he fought for the Air Force since the beginning of aviation."
When the U.S. entered World War I, Mitchell was promoted to Brig. Gen. and directly responsible for commanding 1,481 American and allied airplanes. It is then he exercised his vision of air dominance.
"The 1920s and post-World War I was known as the 'Billy Mitchell' era in aviation. He pushed for stronger air defense and claimed that airplanes would replace the U.S. Navy fleets as the future of homeland security, and also strategic warfare using aircraft to take the fight to the enemy," said Lashley.
Convinced that aircraft and bombers should take the place of battleships and there should be a separate command for Air Service, Mitchell educated the public through press. He was later court-martialed for insubordination for his outspoken tactics, found guilty and ultimately demoted to colonel.
"This is a great way to celebrate not only the history of the U.S. Air Force, but the history of Langley as well," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Timothy. "The aircraft that sunk the Ostfriesland 95 years ago took off out of Langley Field".
Seven fighter wings, eight different airframes and 33 aircrews Air Force-wide supported the two-day event by taking off from Langley and flying the same path the 1st Provisional Air Brigade flew to drop eight Mark 83 inert bombs where the sunken, Ostfriesland lies.
Along with the historical reenactment, U.S. Air Force General (ret.) Michael T. Moseley, former 18th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, will discuss the history behind the anniversary.
"The aircraft that sunk the Ostfriesland 95 years ago took off out of Langley Field. This is a great way to celebrate not only the history of the Air Force, but the history of Langley AFB as well," said Timothy.
The U.S. Air Force was created to fly, fight and win. Although Mitchell did not live to witness what his passion for flight created, his vision did. He was posthumously promoted to Maj. Gen. for his outstanding service and foresight in aviation.
Langley celebrated this historical Air Force day in his honor.