Henry H. Arnold

1886 - 1950

country of citizenship: United States of America

languages spoken, written or signed: English

educated at: United States Army Command and General Staff College, United States Military Academy, Lower Merion High School, Wright Flying School

occupation: military personnel, aircraft pilot

award received: Distinguished Flying Cross, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Grand Cross of the Order of Wissam El Alaouite, Legionnaire of Legion of Merit, Air Medal, Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross, Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown, Grand Cross of the Order of George I, Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau, Royal Order of the Sword, National Aviation Hall of Fame, World War II Victory Medal, Legion of Merit, Victory Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Croix de Guerre, Order of the Sun of Peru, Order of the Aztec Eagle, Order of the Southern Cross, Order of Ouissam Alaouite, Order of the Crown, Order of Merit, Order of Boyacá, Order of George I, Military Order of Italy, Order of the Cloud and Banner, Order of Aeronautical Merit, Distinguished Service Medal, Collier Trophy

Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), commanding general of the United States Army Air Forces, the only United States Air Force general to hold five-star rank, and the only officer to hold a five-star rank in two different U.S. military services. Arnold was also the founder of Project RAND, which evolved into one of the world's largest non-profit global policy think tanks, the RAND Corporation, and was one of the founders of Pan American World Airways. Instructed in flying by the Wright Brothers, Arnold was one of the first military pilots worldwide, and one of the first three rated pilots in the history of the United States Air Force. He overcame a fear of flying that resulted from his experiences with early flight, supervised the expansion of the Air Service during World War I, and became a protégé of General Billy Mitchell. Arnold rose to command the Army Air Forces immediately prior to the American entry into World War II and directed its hundred-fold expansion from an organization of little more than 20,000 men and 800 first-line combat aircraft into the largest and most powerful air force in the world. An advocate of technological research and development, his tenure saw the development of the intercontinental bomber, the jet fighter, the extensive use of radar, global airlift and atomic warfare as mainstays of modern air power. Arnold's most widely used nickname, "Hap", was short for "Happy", attributed variously to work associates when he moonlighted as a silent film stunt pilot in October 1911, or to his wife, who began using the nickname in her correspondence in 1931 following the death of Arnold's mother. His family called him Harley during his youth, and his mother and wife called him "Sunny". His West Point classmates called Arnold "Pewt" or "Benny" and his immediate subordinates and headquarters staff referred to him as "The Chief". Source: Wikipedia (en)