Preview

The Way and Life of General Carl A. Spaatz

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3165 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Way and Life of General Carl A. Spaatz
The Way and Life of General Carl A. Spaatz The name General Carl ‘Tooey ' Andrew Spaatz has become synonymous with the phrase air power and strategist. Air power has come along way since Wilbur and Orville launched the first airplane in 1902 in the city of Kitty Hawk. Famous engineers have taken the Wright-Brothers design and made great improvements to them while slowly integrating these new powerful means of transportation, weaponry and communication aids into the military. Since the onset of World War I there has been a debate on how to most effectively use these new airplanes in the Army 's collection. Most individuals believed that airplanes should be under control of the Army theater commander, while very few felt that these airplanes should be a separate entity from the Army. One of these few people who believed that the Air Force should be separate is General Spaatz. General Spaatz possessed perseverance, leadership attributes and military knowledge; all factors leading him becoming a substantial proponent of a separate Air Force. Spaatz legacy continues to live on; his leadership skills continue to influence people today as General Spaatz is still able to impact air power in the 21st century.
It is no accident that General Spaatz is a proponent of a separate Air Force. Spaatz 's perseverance, leadership attributes and military knowledge would lead him to be a proponent of a separate Air Force were all being shaped, tweaked and instilled upon him during his early plebe years at the United States Military Academy (USMA) beginning in 1900. Looking back on Spaatz 's career at the USMA, one would not predict Spaatz to become the first Chief of Staff of the newly independent United States Air Force. However, these four years spent at the USMA were very influential, particularly in Spaatz 's development as a leader and his ability to persevere. While at the USMA Spaatz was very much a rebel and was constantly breaking the rules. Nevertheless,



Cited: History. Oct. 1990: EBSCOhost. 9 Nov. 2003 Davis, Richard G II. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. 797. Glines, C.V. McNeely, Gina. "Legacy of Flight." Aviation History. Mar. 1998: Academic Search Premier. 8 Nov. 2003. Mets, David R. Master of Airpower. Novato, California: Presido, 1988.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Due to now iconic images of planes such as the Boeing B-17 and the Supermarine Spitfire, World War 2 is recognized as being a war where an important part transpired in the skies. Richard Overy’s book Why the Allies Won, uses chapter four to look into the changes instigated and achieved through Allied air warfare. Looking at the production methods and morals behind Allied fight in the sky, readers are able to understand the positive impacts that were instigated through the air war.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    January 1945: As Hitler's Germany and Tojo's Japan collapse, General George Marshall dies unexpectedly days before the critical Yalta Conference. His successor as US Army Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur, flies halfway around the world to butt heads with Josef Stalin and change history.…

    • 206 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Madison, Rodney. "U.S. Army Air Forces: World War II." World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society. ABC-CLIO,2013. Web. 14 May 2013.…

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Although the United States aviation units lacked training and sufficient aircraft, they were still able to make a difference in WWI and go on to have air superiority almost one hundred years later. This could be accredited to winning decisive battles and the U.S. being a “learning organization.” With the employment of balloons and fixed wing aircraft for trench warfare {text:soft-page-break} reconnaissance, the U.S. was able to save thousands…

    • 1470 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the interwar period the allies developed several lines of thinking as to how airpower would be used in future warfare. The military and political leaders of the day were looking for a way to avoid the horrors of trench warfare from World War I. This timeframe offers an interesting look at how technology, in the form of airpower, had a great potential to affect future wars, but a lack of understanding of its accuracy and how to implement the technology lead to false assumptions, which resulted in miss application and delayed recognition of airpower’s shortcomings. The British ideas of Marshal Trenchard and the American ideas of the Air Corp Tactical School emerged as the dominate theories for applying airpower.…

    • 983 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Air Defense History

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Air Defense Artillery is a very important part of The United States Army. Air Defense was a great asset during the Battle of Luzon. The 200th Coast Artillery Regiment provided Air Defense on the Islands of the Philippines for the Filipinos and United States Forces retreating. The United States and Philippine forces provided weapon systems and defense layouts for threats that were encountered. This encounter led The United States Army to replace old weapon systems with new weapon systems, and evolved the United States Army Artillery Branch. “It was the 200th Coast Artillery (Anti-aircraft) — the original full Regiment — who is credited as being the “First to Fire” on December 8, 1941” (New, 2016). This paper will emphasize how The 200th Coast Artillery Regiment contributed to the adaptation of the Artillery Branch in The United States Army.…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hiram W. Evans' "The Klan's Fight for Americanism" tries to enlighten audiences to his view point. That view point being the Klan's feeling that America is being lost to liberal ideologies and cold intellectualistic direction. He emphasizes the ‘de-Americanizing' issues facing the country such as the reason World War I occurred and why the Jews hold such control over financial institutions. He states the problem with the Klan's credibility lies in their lack of ability in public speaking, and current poverty conditions afflicting his infamous group. I plan to summarize this article in my opinion in what follows.…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The museum that I chose to visit for this assignment is the Palm Springs Air Museum. I visited the museum on March 22nd with a few of my friends. I had arrived at the Museum with the intent that I was going to write about one of their many aircrafts. However, it didn’t end up being so simple, for I was delighted to come across an overwhelming array of options. Surprisingly, I was most interested by the historical displays rather than the aircraft. They provided an incredible amount of information about historical aeronautical events ranging from aerial combat situations to very unique events such as “The Piggyback Flight.” In addition, they also have displays commemorating numerous historical figures and groups. One of these…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Air Defense Principles

    • 122 Words
    • 1 Page

    Back in 1917 when three Coast Artillery Corp (CAC) left for France with orders to organize the Anti-Aircraft Artillery, being tasked to develop this Branch that could protect our forces from hostile attacks from enemy aircraft. Without any kind of training, tactic or weapons they could organize forces and accomplished what today we know as the Air Defense principles, which is mass, mobility, mix, balance and overlapping defense. Brigade General James A. Shipton known as the ADA branch founding father enforce that the mission for Air Defense is not to take down aircrafts, is to “protect and defense our own forces and establishments from hostile attacks and observation from the air by keeping enemy airplanes at distance. (Stiller J.(n.d.)…

    • 122 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    General staff’s political differences between inter-service and intra-service slowed innovation. Critics who followed military innovation during the interwar period blame the general staffs and service organizations for not appreciating the potential for reform.1 Furthermore, general staffs demonstrated their inability to agree on innovative ways with high-ranking officials and political leaders who failed to provide guidance and proper financial means. In addition, general staffs viewed a way to introduce a new concept to warfare was through the service’s school systems.2 This proved an inadequate means to introduce the new reforms and real operational units that could perform wartime missions proved successful.3 Germany and Soviet Union believed the realities that ground warfare dominated the military culture and general staff organizations.4 Due to this reality, the general staffs focused reform efforts towards the development of armored warfare, therefore limiting innovation to naval and aviation assets. In addition, the intra-service conflict among the German general staff reduced innovation between armored warfare and other ground warfare systems including the infantry, artillery and cavalry. Intra-service rivalry and politics affected aviation innovation is several…

    • 1143 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    World War I: Analysis

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages

    On the eve of the World War I, no country was prepared for using aircraft or would have even thought about making an effective weapon of war. Several had experimented with dropping bombs from aircraft, firing guns, and taking off and landing from aircraft carriers, but no country had designed or built an aircraft specifically for war functions (Century of Flight). During World War 1, they had made many changed to the aircraft to make it create havoc on the enemy’s. They would add many weapons to the aircraft to make it a deadly air weapon. The would then haul many people and weapons onto the aircraft and shoot from the top of the sky, so no one could really protect themselves (The Air War in Europe 23). Once World War two hit, these aircrafts got more sufficient in making their weapons more deadly. Air warfare was a major component of World War II. It consumed a large fraction of the industrial output of the major powers. Germany and Japan depended on air forces that were closely integrated with land and naval forces. The aviators downplayed the advantage of fleets who were strategic bombers, and were late in appreciating the need to defend against Allied strategic bombing. Britain and the United States took an approach that greatly emphasized strategic bombing, and to a lesser degree, considered control of the battlefield by air, and satisfactory air defenses (Wikapedia). They both built a strategic force of large, long-range bombers that could carry the air war to the enemy's homeland. Simultaneously, they built tactical air forces that could win air dominance over the battlefields, giving assistance to ground troops. They both built a powerful naval-air component based on aircraft carriers, as did Japan; these played the central role in the war at sea (Angelucci 46). Before 1939, all sides operated under largely theoretical models of air warfare. Italian theorist, Giulio Douhet in the 1920’s summarized the faith that airmen during and after World War I developed…

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Korean War also referred to as the “Forgotten War,” set an unforeseen reconstruction into the Air Defense Artillery branch of the modern Army. This bloody war was an important event in the world or the Air Defense Artillery branch. The contingency missions of today’s Army were solidified during the Korean War and it helped cement the Air Defense Artillery motto of “First to Fire.” There were many important events that occurred for ADA during this war. From the first air defense unit arriving to the key battles that took place, this conflict provided significant advancements for air defense in the U.S. military. The Korean War commonly referred to by many as “The Forgotten War,” should never be forgotten by Air Defense Artillery, as…

    • 1325 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    What if I told you that the “Father of the Air Force” publicly criticized and attacked his superior leaders, to include the White House? Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell was a Visionary Leader, but an Unethical Leader that successfully campaigned his message extensively while criticizing all of his superiors during his air power movement. Between WWI and WWII, Mitchell used his rank and name recognition to spearhead the push for air power relevance. In Hurley’s (1975) writing, he said Mitchell, “exemplified the dedicated patriot, whose single-minded devotion to a cause, would lead him to a degree of recklessness, resulting in his own downfall”. First, we will discuss his Visionary Leadership when he used Management by Exception…

    • 1404 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Various. Atlantic Monthly, Volume 2, Issue 11, September, 1858. gutenberg.org. 15, June, 2005. 13. November, 2012.…

    • 1377 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    It is no known secret that America attempted to reframe from becoming a part of what was projected as being a major war which started with the European culture. Historians believe that the second war was a contribution of the Great Depression which caused for America to seize from their investments in Europe. This caused for a struggle of power in Europe which provide an opportunity for Hitler and Stalin to obtain control over Europe. However receiving control over Britain would become a challenge. The prime minister at that time knew in order to survive he would need an alliance; the United States. With Germany, Italy, and Japan seizing majority of Europe, President Roosevelt agreed to support Britain in the war in order to promote the “Four Freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom for want, and freedom for fear” (Schultz, 2012). With the booming of Pearl Harbor on December 7, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war. Once war was declared and with Hitler also declaring war on the United States; this became the beginning of World War II.…

    • 2571 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays