Billy Mitchell
Billy Mitchell - United States Army general; born in Nice, France, Mitchell grew up on an estate in what is now the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis, Wisconsin.
Mitchell served in WWI and is regarded as the "Father of the U.S. Air Force." His grandfather Alexander Mitchell, a Scotsman, was the wealthiest person in Wisconsin for his generation and
established what became the Milwaukee Road along with the Marine Bank of Wisconsin. His father, John L. Mitchell, was a wealthy Wisconsin senator. Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee is named for General Mitchel.
In 1955, Billy Mitchell was portrayed by the iconic actor, Gary Cooper, in a film about his court-martial.
For more information on Billy Mitchell, visit Wikipedia.
Billy Mitchell
In 1925, Billy Mitchell was court-martialed for insubordination after accusing Army and Navy leaders of an "almost treasonable administration of the national defense" for investing in battleships instead of aircraft carriers.
Mitchell was concerned that the building of dreadnoughts was taking precious defense dollars away from military aviation.
