Aviation Legend Billy Mitchell: Martyr or Malcontent? 

From a USAF pilot to a Navy aviator, you have, in my humble opinion, accurately captured General Mitchell’s legacy. It’s sad that Mitchell never lived to see his vindication, so we need to remember trailblazers like him and not be afraid to implement bold ideas. Bravo Zulu, Ward.

As a young Civil Air Patrol cadet, I earned the Billy Mitchel Award never knowing it's meaning or history. Thank You so much Ward. I'm now retired, Captain, Airbus, 30 years, American / USAirways.

The greatest appraisal I ever received while flying B-52 was from an admiral after flying Teamwork 76. He asked me, "are you related to General Bill Mitchell".

I remember studying Mitchell over 50 years ago while in JROTC and a CAP cadet. The award that CAP cadets get when advancing to cadet officer ranks is the Billy Mitchell award, which I still have.

Having served 29 years on active duty (with one not so memorable in Viet Nam) I can reasonably say no one likes new ideas which threatens their rice bowl. Appreciate you making this presentation possible.

I have the movie about Gen. Billy Mitchell. He was a man of vision and conviction and a TRUE patriot. I'm proud to have been an Army Aviator in combat, and have frequent contact with the brave men I got to fly with in our war.Those of us that are still kicking having survived to come home, we are still a tight group after 50+ years. Our memories may be fading now, but the bond we share will live with us until it's our turn to check in upstairs, one final flight that we have to do solo.God Bless all of our military aviators in all branches. Thank you Ward for telling the story of a great man who's vision changed OUR world forever.

I watched the film some years back. I was amazed at the foresight and clarity of Billy Mitchell and his willingness to sacrifice his entire career to get the military on the right track. Great episode!

In the late 60’s, I did a class report in 8th grade on Mitchell and this piece warmly conjured up memories of that whole experience. He was truly ahead of his time. Thanks, Ward!

I've known the history of Brig. Gen Mitchell. Having earned the Billy Mitchell Award in Civil Air Patrol, and now in my 6th year of active duty as a Navy hospital corpsman, Mitchell has always been an image of how I conduct myself and look objectively at leadership and doctrine. Knowing how to spot, question, and ignore stuffy military careerists who know more about dinner parties than being part of a fighting force. Not to blindly follow rank and instead seek out those with knowledge and experience regardless of status or grade. I however have never seen Mitchell's story produced and explained so well. As a senior member now in Civil Air Patrol, I have given variouse other cadets under me the prestigious Mitchell Award. I harp on my cadets alot on being a well versed historian, especially on the events and figures that thier promotions and awards are named after. I'll definitely be using your video at a meeting soon and get them well aquianted with the man of who the rank of cadet 2dLt is named. BravoZulu, Ward!

"Tears and chills" (at 20:50) when reference to General Mitchell's prediction that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor and then have the USS Arizona sunk by bombs just eight days after the Navy's boast of its invincibility!!

I wish there was more study on General Mitchell. He was a visionary.

Amazing content! My son is 15 in the Civil Air Patrol. Been doing it since he was 12. Now I see why he strives for the Billy Mitchell award in CAP. A very coveted award, as it should be! Thank you!!

I remember seeing the movie in the mid ‘50s with my Dad who was a navigator on a B-17 during WWII. Though I was a child at the time, I’ll never forget it.

Fantastic analysis! The lack of judgement and imagination of senior military commanders is frightening! I was struck by the fact that Billy Mitchell’s namesake - R J Mitchell (designer of the Spitfire) also died too young to see the results of his pioneering work. Thanks for a great video.

Outstanding! I know this took a lot of time and research, and the writing is just excellent. Mitchell was a friend of my grandfather CC Moseley who also flew in France in 1917 and 1918. He was a hero.

Actually one more comment. The Billy Mitchell Award is one of the most important milestones within the Civil Air Patrol cadet program as it is when cadets become a cadet second lieutenant. As a result, I shared this information with our squadron commander and we are going to be introducing this video to our cadets as part of our leadership training. Thank you so much for all your work on this.

@Ward Carroll - great content as usual! 1 foot note - the National Park Service airport at Cape Hatteras (HSE) located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina is named after General Billy Mitchell.

One of, if not the best, episodes you’ve made! While Billy Mitchell is now legendary his foresight as testified to in his trial is pure genius.

Great video. Gen. Mitchell was a hero of mine, as a child, and still his. I wrote a report on him and his advocacy for air power in elementary school. He was a visionary and visionaries arent often well received in bureucratic institutions like government and the armed forces. Its interesting that our armed forces encourages junior leaders to take the initiative, to improvise, and often to act without direct orders in combat. But stifles that initiative, improvisation and willingness to act when applied in other areas.

Tremendous episode! I think the greatest irony of the whole Billy Mitchell situation is that the two countries paying attention to his thoughts in the 1930s were Japan and Germany. It was miraculous that the US and the western Allies were able to win WWII. Sometimes the US “can’t see the forest for the trees”.

As a retired Air Force enlisted, I really enjoyed this - very informative.

The cadet dining hall at USAFA is Mitchell Hall. The airport in Milwaukee, WI is General Mitchell International Airport. Great video. John, USAFA 1975.

Excellent and informative. One word of caution: Mitchell's audacity and foresight proved out. Many others who were just as sure of themselves did not. Remember the lesson of putting armor where the holes are.

One caveat, General Hap Arnold, while attached to the Mitchell defense, was insulated as much as possible to protect his career. Awesome video.

Absolutely loved this episode. As a retired Airman, I really enjoy hearing about and learning more about my branch of service. (I also enjoy learning about the other branches.) I believe knowing our history is important. However, like Brig Gen Mitchell, I believe we can"t win future conflicts without advancing technology. Thank you for your service and work on these videos.

Ward, I’ve just recently come across a collection of three scrapbooks that my dad put together in 1931 to 1932 in New York describing the state of aviation around the world at that period in our history. The scrapbooks have about 200+ pages with an average of about 8 to 10 articles per page front and back. I was absolutely stunned by finding articles about Charles Lindberg, Amelia Earhart, Billy Mitchell, the Wright Brothers, James, Doolittle, and a ton of other famous aviators at that time, and their activities. There were articles about the state of Army Air Force and Naval Air Power. There are stories about the USS Akron and the USS Los Angeles, and about the the German Graf Zeppelin. An article about Charles Lindberg and his wife almost getting killed in a plane crash in China that Lindberg was flying. There’s another article about Amelia Earhart trying to duplicate Lindberg‘s flight across the Atlantic to Paris and crashing short in Ireland and almost drowning. There are articles about what you discussed in this video such as a Japanese attacking China, and American flyers signing on with the Chinese Air Force to fight the Japanese. I’ve got about 50 pages that I’ve taken pictures of as examples. I’m willing to share them. I’m at a loss as to what to do with this thing otherwise. This has to be an incredible research source. Any suggestions? I don’t just want to throw it out.

I was once the Deputy Commander for Cadets in a Civil Air Patrol squadron in northern Virginia. I was proud of my cadets and loved it when they achieved the Billy Mitchell award, which introduced them to the cadet officer ranks. The man was a visionary and true maverick. The movie, as good as it was with Gary Cooper in the lead role, I felt never truly did Billy Mitchell justice.

What a terrific episode, Ward. As USAF cadets, we were all taught about Billy Mitchell (along with other aviation pioneers). He was a true visionary and you summed him up really well.

I'm prior Navy and can see how a guy like Mitchell could REALLY ruffle feathers as they might have said, "This is how we have always done it." What an amazing patriot he is! While he had personal issues, his commitment "to fight all enemies, foreign and domestic" was clearly what his career was about. And paid a price. How can we keep flag officers from being politicians and remain war fighters? Lincoln learned that after suffering McClellan for so long, then hearing of Grant's drinking, he said something like "Find out what he's drinking and send it to the other generals." A great politician backing a great war fighter, when the Nation was on it's knees. (2 of my ancestors served in the La. 2nd Heavy Artillery). Great video Mr. Carrol. Lastly, I have been half searching for years of a WW2 Navy surface CO. So long ago I read the entire "Two Ocean War" by Adm. Morison and he wrote about this man, who's ship always pulled into port looking a bit shoddy, but never lost a battle. Instead of polishing brass he had to boys train, train and train on fighting. I lost all of the volumes of that book, but Morison's writing of him made my hair stand on end in admiration. And apparently the moral of his boys was high, because they kept winning! Who was this amazing man? I need to rediscover him.

I learned of Billy Mitchell in my youth as a CAP Cadet some 35+ years ago and earning the Mitchell Award. Your video is by far the most historically accurate takes on his life, role and legacy in military aviation I've seen. In addition to Mitchell's contribution proving the benefits of carriers and naval avation, a young Lt.Curtis Lamay was chosen as a navigator on the new YB-17 in the mid 1930's, b/c the Navy, still wasn't sold on the benefits of land based aviations ability to locate, or destroy ships far out at sea. I believe there was also a wager between the Navy & Army Air Corps that they wouldn't be able too do so. LeMay not only proved it possible, but effective, efficient and necessary. The history & contributions of Mitchell, Arnold, Spaatz, Rickenbacker, Selfridge, LeMay & Goddard need too be told and celebrated, there pioneering efforts were truly remarkable!

Thanks, Ward. Thus would be a nice tool to teach high school kids about forward vision.

Really enjoyed this story.. Mitchell was way ahead of the rest. Hate it when egos hold us back. Thank you.

Excellent video! My first plastic model to build as a kid in the 60's was a B-25 Mitchell - thanks for the trip down memory lane 😀

As a Marine Corps Naval Aviator, it pains me to say that in light of the PRC's potential invasion of Taiwan, and China's potent antiship missile arsenal, we may be witnessing a watershed revolution in the Navy's capital weapons platforms similar to the one that saw the carrier displace the battleship in the 1920s and '30s. While publicly discussing a future war with China over Taiwan, I've recently heard senior Navy planners say that China's antiship missiles would force our vulnerable carrier battle groups to redeploy east at least a thousand miles from Taiwan. That would effectively emasculate the strike threat of Naval Air power. What then? That leaves the air and surface defense of Taiwan against Chinese amphibious invasion in the hands of our shrinking force of fast attack submarines and US Air Force fighter and attack forces based in Japan, Taiwan, and potentially the Philippines. Our shipbuilding industry which at the peak of WWII was launching a new Liberty Ship every few hours, with slightly longer launch intervals for carriers and other surface men of war, can now barely manage to build one fast attack submarine a year! To deter or stop the invasion of Taiwan once war becomes imminent, we need the subs to mine the shallow Strait and stand by to finish destruction of the PRC's amphibious fleet with sub launched antiship missiles and long range torpedoes. Interested in your take, Mooch.

Mooch, in your excellent closing temarks you made the case that Mitchell was an innovator and a man of extraordinary vision, but that such innovators are often thwarted by advocates of the status quo. Mitchell's personal and professional style gave ammunition to his distractors who ultimately destroyed his career, but not his continuing advocacy of air power as a private citizen. I immediately thought of other mavericks like the Navy's Hyman Rickover, and the Air Force's John Boyd. Rickover succeeded in foiling his enemies' attempts to scuttle his career as a tireless proponent of nuclear powered submarines and aircraft carriers by cultivating powerful Senators and Congressmen who overrode his detractors in the Department of the Navy. Boyd was an unlikely visionary in the design and procurement of Air Force fighter aircraft. His prickly and bombastic personality alienated his superiors in the Pentagon who stunted his promotion to flag rank. Nevertheless, Boyd's vision and indefatigable persistence against all professional odds gave us two of America's most valuable tactical aircraft, the F-16 Fighting Falcon (AKA "Viper") and the A-10 Thunderbolt II (AKA "Warthog"). Boyd not only thought about future USAF airplanes, he also became a self taught master of tactical battlefield decision making. He is well known for devising the OODA Loop, a tool for commanders to make quick and decisive analysis and take proper action to win in the air and on the battlefield. The Marines adopted Boyd's ideas, and no modern USMC leader is unaware of John Boyd's OODA Loop. I can almost hear Billy Mitchell chuckling in the background.

A good piece of writing, and the vids were tremendously interesting. The usual histories have a paragraph here, a sentence there about Billy Mitchell, but this is the deepest dive I've yet seen, and it's fascinating. Ward, thanks very much indeed!

He should have a CVN named after him and USAF's biggest bomber base should bear his name.

I learned a lot about Mitchell from my time in CAP. This was by far the best summary of his life and legacy I've encountered. Nicely done, Ward Carroll!

Wow, I had no idea. As usual Ward Carroll delivers a video chock full of facts and information without the usual dead fluff of other channels. This one is especially informational given the incredible forecasts of Billy Mitchell. Bravo!

Excellent!! "Vain, petulant, overbearing, and egotistical"?? These are qualities necessary in an aviator!

It's funny that this came out now. I just watched the movie about Billy Mitchell a week or so ago. What a synchronicity.

A well written and informative presentation. Mitchell was a genuine American hero. Thank you!

Thanks, Ward. Patton used to hold sermons to eight minutes. If you can't say it 8 minutes, you can't say it. Your shows are like that. You say it. Billy Mitchell is one of my favorites, but most of his influence is pre-war (WWII planning and development). Good show!

Ward, I knew a little bit about Mitchell but this was fantastic documentary work that put this into perfect context. Thank you very much

Wow, very well done Ward! As another evil Air Force pilot who attended USAFA, it was beaten into us from day 1 that we owed pretty much everything as an armed Service to Billy Mitchell….this just confirms it!

Excellent commentary. This is the most comprehensive account I have seen regarding BG Mitchell's history and influence on military aviation tactics. Bravo Zulu, Mooch! 👍

Outstanding content, sadly the Military has had many General Mitchell’s throughout its history thru today. What’s worse is how many of those officers had their careers tanked before their leadership and vision could have impacted our nation/military.

Thank you Ward Carrol. My Dad was a WSO in the F-4D/E, and retired at your same grade. I will be forwarding him this video. I remember reading about Billy Mitchell in Aces over the Pacific. One of my father's later assignments was to the USAF Doctrine Center. Which is funny as I have gradually brought him over to the side of more flexibility over less. Thank you again excellent sir!

Brilliant video Mooch. Many of your best ones cover historical events and your delivery is spot on.

Informative, entertaining, well edited! We need innovators like Mitchell to push the boundaries of bureaucracy!

Ward thank you for such an excellent video. in the 11th grade I did a book report on Mitchell, his vision of the future of war fighting is unprecedented in my opinion

I was USAF enlisted in the 90's, if my memory serves me correctly, our training materials at the time recognized him as a Brigadier General. Great video, will re-watch this one with my sons!

As usual, an OUTSTANDING presentation , Commander Carroll.... I believe that Officer Mitchell was a true visionary, and a true Hero, and those who disliked him were usually quite POMPOUS to the point of HIDING the KNOWN vulnerabilities of the Battleships and other military Equipment and personnel , against aerial attacks... Unfortunately Billy Mitchell passed away before he could see how much The NAVY , The MARINE CORPS , The ARMY and The AIR FORCE were able to successfully defend our country and overtake our enemies, with the use of Air Power.... It is great to know that he finally received the recognition he (Billy Mitchell) deserved, nearly 70 years after he passed away...

Excellent video, Ward! I love military history in general, and military aviation history in particular. Much appreciated!

My grandfather served in France in the US Army Signal Corps as a supply lieutenant. During combat operations he was stationed at an airfield just North of a town called Bar-le-Duc. Our entire family visited the area in 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his service. It was important to do because he passed away before my generation was born, and my Dad had never seen the area. In doing research to give my family some background about what grandpa was up to, I came across a lot of information about Billy Mitchell’s genius in developing supply chains for combat air units. Of course, military people have known how to do supply for millennia, but air combat operations were brand new and this was being done across oceans and continents in 1918. My mind was blown and I was glad to tell my family about Billy Mitchell’s genius and our family member’s part in making it all happen. I have no idea if he ever met Billy Mitchell. No particular reason for a 2nd Lieutenant to have. He told my dad that he and his team were at the supply depot when a German artillery shell hit. Obviously it was a dud, or I wouldn’t be telling you this. My dad served in the Navy in the 1950’s on board a destroyer, the Rodman, which sometimes performed escort duty for the carrier Wasp. We visited Wasp together in San Diego about 5 years ago. That was great. My Dad passed away this past Saturday at 94. He would have loved to watch this video with me. But I have enjoyed it in both his and my grandfather’s memory. Thanks Ward! Your content always rocks!

I never cease to enjoy, learn from and be inspired by your videos. This one was out of the park for me. You're a TALENT sir, apparently at anything you set your hand to do. From your assessments of the current fighting in the Middle East, to this excellent biography, to the stories and interviews, to the Rickenbackers, Gibsons and Marshalls lined up behind you... a real renaissance man. More like this please.

Brilliant video. I’ve studied Billy Mitchell for a long time and have only the deepest admiration for him.

Great to see this new video from you. I have known about Billy Mitchell for several decades and I am pleased that you have honored him in this way.

Great work as always, Ward! I always look forward to your uploads! The challenge is Michell was right, but that he went about it the wrong way. He made the mistake solders, especially senior officers can’t afford: he allowed his ego to get bigger than the mission. During WW2, ‘even famous hardasses like Patton knew when to buckle down and follow orders. MacArthur got canned for the same reason in Korea. As brilliant and visionary as he was, flouting the chain of command sets a bad example.

Fantastic synopsis! I was gripped from start to end-and I had had no intention of watching the whole thing but, your pacing and on point script kept me riveted. Thank You, Ward Be Well. Keep up the excellent content

Wow! What an astounding story! Thanks so much for taking the time to research this. My grandfather was an Army Air Service armorer in France during WWI, so he may have seen or heard Billy Mitchell at some point. He brought back some amazing photos.

I’ve watched this twice now. Billy Mitchell is a hero of aviation, he saw where things were going and fought the good fight. Imagine an Air Force officer fighting for Navy Air power today 😂. Loved the shoutout for Lord Trenchard, before he joined/formed the Royal Air Force he was an infantry officer in my Regiment(Royal Scots Fusiliers) later to become the Royal Highland Fusiliers. As an army infantry regiment we still revere an Air Force officer. Mitchell reminds me of Admiral Denfeld who fought for naval air power during the Revolt Of The Admirals. Another good officer who sacrificed his career for the greater good. Love this video, Mooch, love it.

Great video, Ward, I've heard the story of Mitchell before, but your telling of it is the most compelling so far.

Ward, an outstanding video. Clearly, you did a lot of research and put this story together very well. Great work and many thanks for your efforts.

Beautifully done Ward, thank you so very much! 😁

Ward's best one yet. The origins. In the beginning was the Battleship. Then came the aircraft. The rest is history. The '41 Army Navy Game program is a gem.

I think one of the very best video productions you’ve put forth. Period.

I'm definitely going to share this with my CAP Squadron. Incredible work covering General Mitchell.

Being a Military history buff, I thank you. I knew of Bill Mitchell but had only some knowledge of his brilliance.

Fascinating episode, Ward! Thanks for educating us!

One of your best videos yet! Billy Mitchell was a hero to me. This video does justice to his legacy. Thanks!

Great episode and history lesson, Ward! It is astounding how prescient Brig. Gen. Mitchell was. Thank you for the research on this one!

Excellent overview! Keep these coming, Mooch

I love these historical videos Ward! Please do more! ❤

Thank you, Billy Mitchell for being a visionary and making Naval Aviation a reality! AT1 (NAC/AW), USNR Ret.

Thank you Ward! This was both informative and entertaining. I truly enjoyed this video. Thank you for sharing this.

Great video Ward, one of your best yet 🙂

Outstanding military history lesson. Keep these coming!!!

Good video Ward. A lot of work went into this one.

I've always been a fan of Billy Mitchell. This is one of the best short documentaries I have heard on the subject. Thank-you for publishing this.

I want to congratulate you for taking the time and effort to create this amazing documentary!

Simply fantastic job on this one, Ward. Thanks.

With that ad, I think see light for at least Kimmel, and therefore probably Short too. You can argue that they were held accountable for their responsibilities. But how you can apply that to them, who were taken by surprise, but not MacArthur, who had many hours advanced notice, is beyond me.

Absolutely wonderful and informative video. Many thanks for your work!

Ward, your insightful and unvarnished video on BG Mitchell highlighted details of his visionary brilliance and unconventional methods that are revised to a politically correct narrative in Air Force ROTC and professional military education. In 25 minutes I’ve gained an appreciation I didn’t comprehend in 9 years as an AF Officer. Namely, his passion to innovate despite the personal costs that is too frequently the consequences suffered by visionaries in large, traditional organization. I’ve since been a part of major innovation a number of times in my IT career after military service and fully appreciate the cultural, financial and operational commitment required to do it well. I appreciate your consistently excellent content.

Great video! I learned a lot. Keep these coming.

Wow! Another fantastic episode mooch! Thank you sir 🫡

Thanks for this great historical video. It was very enlightening. Certainly Billy Mitchell saw the future of military aviation that others didn’t.

Wow! Amazing presentation Ward. Definitely more like this in the future. 👍🏼

Thanks, Mr. Carroll, for giving me another great history - filled lunch break! 👍👍

Wow amazing history and info here Ward, nice work!

Have been a subscriber for some time and your content is always excellent. This is without a doubt your best yet. Well done.

Loved this episode, thanks, Ward!

Wonderfully researched and presented, sir.

A perfect recitation of true history! Thank you, Sir!

We need A LOT more people like this fine gentleman in today's overcensored society. All the emphasis in current time is put on hurty feelings not happening and we're so bound by "safety culture" thay we are severely handicapped

Great video Ward! I appreciate your videos.

Hands down your best episode yet thank you so much

What a facinating history lesson, thanks again and as always Ward for your excellent work.

One of your best episodes. Thank you so much.