Honoring General Billy Mitchell

Today, we continue our celebration of National Military Appreciation Month by remembering General Billy Mitchell, who helped lead the military’s development and use of airpower at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1999, the Postal Service honored General William “Billy” Mitchell (1879-1936) with a 55-cent stamp.

General Mitchell was a professional soldier who served as an infantryman in the Spanish-American War and went on to achieve greater fame as an outstanding U.S. combat air commander during World War I. Artist Paul Salmon’s oil-on-gesso painting is based on an early photograph of Mitchell. The foreground shows the SPAD XVI, which he used in observation and command roles during World War I.

In 1941, the North American B-25 Mitchell—a bomber used during World War II—was named after General Mitchell, a true pioneer of U.S. military aviation.

Captain Chuck Yeager Becomes Fastest Man Alive

At the end of World War II, the U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, working separately with the Navy and Air Force, began working on different approaches to attaining high-speed flight. Bell Aircraft Corporation, using engines by Aerojet Engineering Corporation, won the contract to build three X-1 aircraft. The X-1 was no normal airplane; it was a rocket, fueled with liquid oxygen and alcohol propellants and driven by a 6,000-pound-thrust engine. To conserve fuel, the X-1 would be carried aloft by a specially fitted B-29 bomber and released.

On October 14, 1947, Captain Chuck Yeager of the U.S. Air Force piloted his Bell X-1, the Glamorous Glennis, to a speed of Mach 1.07, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier. Being the first country to fly faster than the speed of sound was a matter of national prestige, and further bolstered aeronautical testing and innovation.

What other military-driven “firsts” would you like to see on future stamps?

Armed Forces Utilize the Strength, Agility of American Aviation

Advances in aviation since the Wright brothers’ first airplane flight in 1903 have had a significant impact on our country’s military power. Issued in 1997, the Classic American Aircraft pane features 20 planes representing the first 50 years of powered flight in America, many of which were instrumental in times of conflict.

Grumman’s F4F was the Navy’s first line of defense in early World War II. It out-fought the faster, more agile Japanese Zero at the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. The Wildcat’s rugged service continued throughout the war.

An early 1930s breakthrough, this sleek monoplane took over the job of bomber from big, slow biplanes. The Martin B-10 carried a one-ton cargo, opened the eyes of strategists, and pointed the way to the hardy B-17 and B-24.

The bent-winged F4U achieved one of World War II’s highest victory ratios. Impressive in ground support, the Vought Corsair also served effectively in Korea. The plane was retired in the 1970s with a long and distinguished international record.

The Boeing B-17 is an American legend. In World War II, it carried the air war to Germany, bombing heavily defended targets while dodging flak and enemy fighters. Able to withstand severe damage, the ‘Fort’ commanded great respect.

Beautiful, agile, powerful, the North American P-51 is rated by many as the best fighter of WWII. The Mustang escorted bombers over Europe and the Pacific, sweeping the skies, and winning the hearts of its pilots.

These classic machines paved the way for countless advances in aviation technology, keeping American armed forces on the cutting edge. What kinds of aircraft would you like to see on a future stamp?