Air Force ‘founding fathers’ exhibit opens at Pentagon

  • Published
  • By LaDonna Bowen
  • 11th Wing Public Affairs
BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE, D.C. (AFPN) --  Considered to be the “founding fathers” of the Air Force, Gens. Henry “Hap” Arnold, William “Billy” Mitchell and Frank M. Andrews were memorialized July 21 in a new exhibit at the Pentagon.

Descendants of the three aviation visionaries were among about 100 people who gathered in the Arnold Corridor, outside the offices of the Air Force’s senior leaders, to witness the unveiling of the Pioneers of American Air and Space Power exhibit.

The brainchild of Gen. T. Michael Moseley, vice chief of staff of the Air Force, took seven months to complete rather than the usual 12 to 18 months for displays of this magnitude. The timing was critical, as it was the general’s intent to open the exhibit on the anniversary of the sinking of the German battleship “Ostfriesland” by General Mitchell’s bombers July 21, 1921.

“The (leaders) wanted to broaden the focus to include other key Airmen who built the foundation for today’s Air Force,” said Anne Johnson-Sachs, chief of the Air Force Historical Research Agency. “These Airmen were pioneers. They looked to the future and worked together to give America the most powerful Air Force in the world.”

A joint venture between the Air Force’s graphics office in the Pentagon and the research agency here, the 200-foot display features graphics, photos and brief narratives.

The former display, originally installed 15 years ago, was much smaller and featured only General Arnold.

“I have many fond memories of living on Bolling. It was a great time,” said Robert Arnold, General Arnold’s grandson. “It is great to see some of these photos again. We were the most photographed family in history, and my father, William Bruce Arnold (named after William “Billy” Mitchell), often reminded us, ‘it is about him [General Arnold] not about you, and not to ever forget it.”

The selection and arrangement of photographs included in the display are very powerful, people said. Family members, to help depict a more personal side of the Airmen, provided many of them.

“The exhibit is about our roots and legacy,” Ms. Johnson-Sachs said. “General Moseley told me that if the display gets one young person to say, ‘I want to become a part of that,’ then all of the time and energy will be worth it.”

Nearly 57 years old, the Air Force is a very young service.

“The exhibit is just fabulous, and I am happy that the Air Force invited us,” said Cicely Banfield, granddaughter of General Mitchell.

“I am still learning things about him [General Mitchell], said her son, Landon Banfield, said in jest. “It really is a lot to consume.”

General Moseley spoke passionately to the audience about the visionaries’ contributions and sacrifices that helped shape today’s Air Force. He reflected upon how they might feel if they were alive today to see how their dreams, dedication and even defiance have evolved.

“Every Airman should see the pioneers of air and space exhibit, and we owe our Air Force to the men it honors,” General Moseley said. “They laid the foundation of how air and space power is used today, and this exhibit truly links our heritage with our future.”