A Brief Biography

Our chapter was named to honor the late General William (Billy) Mitchell, a United States military aviation pioneer - aviator, tactician, innovator, and engineer. He was stationed in San Antonio, Texas, circa 1925. General Mitchell was the first United States Army officer to serve in World War I. His varied assignments included that as Chief of the Signal Corps' Air Section, where he worked relentlessly to develop new facilities for military flight instruction. General Mitchell spoke the truth, as he saw it, to protect the most precious commodity on earth: FREEDOM.

Act of Congress, 8 August 1946, authorized the President of the United States to award, posthumously, in the name of Congress, a Medal of Honor to the late William Mitchell, formerly a Colonel, United States Army, in recognition of his outstanding pioneer service and foresight in the field of military aviation.

Twice during his military he held the rank of temporary brigadier general and, on 18 July 1947, a special bill of Congress promoted him to major general, retroactive to the date of his death.

General Mitchell was born in Nice, France, on 29 December 1879, and died 19 February 1936.