Post commemorates 99th anniversary of first military flight

  • Published
  • By Esther Garcia
  • Fort Sam Houston Public Affairs
FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (AFNS) --  A vintage Stearman PT-17 and a Fairchild PTY-26 flew at approximately 11 a.m. March 2 under a clear blue sky over the grounds of Fort Sam Houston commemorating the 99th anniversary of the first military flight made by then 1st Lt. Benjamin Foulois.

Sponsored by the Stinsons Flight No. 2, Order of Daedalians and the Jack Dibrell/Alamo Chapter, Army Aviation Association of America, the ceremony was held at the Foulois marker located at the post flagpole.

Near this spot on March 2, 1910, Lieutenant Foulois of the Army Signal Corps began the series of flights that demonstrated the value of the airplane as a military weapon. This was the first military flight in Texas. Lieutenant Foulois started the flight at 9:30 and ended at 9:37 a.m. attaining the height of 200 feet and circling the area at a speed of 30 mph. This was the first flight in the first government owned airplane by the first military trained pilot.

A static display of helicopters that included a CH-47 Chinook courtesy of III Corps from Fort Hood, Texas, the AH-64 Apache provided by the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade from the Texas National Guard and an OH-58 Kiowa courtesy of Alan Bloxsom of Fort Apache Power from Bulverde, Texas, provided the background for the ceremony. 

Keith Ferris, an aviation artist and the guest speaker for the ceremony, unveiled his painting, "Gallant Beginning," which is a depiction of the first military flight by Lieutenant Foulois at Fort Sam Houston.

Mr. Ferris, the son of a career Air Force officer, grew up with military aviation.

Mr. Ferris has flown more than 300 hours in jet fighter aircraft and has flown in most all jet aircraft types in the Air Force inventory while documenting the Air Force mission with art. He deployed across the Pacific, to South East Asia as a civilian back-seater with the first squadron of F-4E Phantoms in 1968 where he participated in missions of the F-4E, the F-105F and the B-52 Stratofortress. He spent a total of eight weeks over a 25-year period flying with the Air Force Fighter Weapons Schools experiencing the employment of aircraft ranging from the F-100 to the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. He holds five United States patents for deceptive aircraft paint systems. He has 60 major paintings in the Air Force Art Collection.

His art has served the advertising, editorial, public relations and historical documentation needs of the aerospace industry, publications, the military services and air and space museums for 62 years. Mr. Ferris created the 25 feet high by 75 feet wide mural in oil "Fortresses under Fire" in the World War II Gallery of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the 20-foot by 75-foot Evolution of Jet Aviation mural in the museum's Jet Aviation Gallery.

In his remarks, Mr. Ferris recounted Lieutenant Foulois' history making in military aviation and recalled his experience when painting "Gallant Beginning."

Using old photographs of the post from the early 1900s to 1910 and sight maps from 1922, Mr. Ferris was able to place in his painting where buildings were located at that time.

The painting, "Gallant Beginning" was commissioned in 1975 by the National Bank of Fort Sam Houston, now called the Bank of America, and still hangs there.

Mr. Ferris, Lt. Col. Daniel Clark, of U.S. Army North, and retired Col. Frederick Pillet, master of ceremonies, placed a wreath in the shape of a propeller in front of the Foulois marker in honor of the 99th anniversary of the first military flight.

Cora Wilkerson from Watts Elementary School in Cibolo, Texas, sang the national anthem and "High Flight." The Army Medical Command Band provided patriotic music for the ceremony.

Army pilots from World War I founded the Order of the Daedalians in 1934. It remains a fraternity of military aviators from all services who promise to place nation above self and to be worthy of the trust and confidence of fellow members. It supports programs to improve flight safety and aeronautical careers. There are 65 flights and more than 14,000 pilots in the order. Its national headquarters is at Randolph Air Force, Texas.
Stinson Flight No. 2 is the largest flight in the order of the Daedalians with more than 450 members. It has hosted the Foulois ceremony every year since 1978.

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