"BUFDRVR" wrote in message
...
Yes, and he was also courts-martialled for insisting that airpower alone
could
win a war

No, he was court martialled (and rightfully so) for publically accusing both
the President (Calvin Coolidge) and Congress of treason in what he believed
was
their negligence in managing and funding the US Army Air Corps and aviation in
general.

I believe the crash of a US Navy dirigible was what prompted him to make the
remarks to a national newspaper.

Mitchell continued to publicly press for a separate air arm after some half
dozen obsolete naval war vessels had been sunk by air attack in various tests.
This is what the Air Force Museum's home page says about his courts-martial:

"The success of the bombing trials encouraged the supporters of a separate air
arm to press even harder for their objectives but the Army General Staff
remained firm in its belief that airpower, acting independently, could not win a
war. Mitchell became increasingly critical of his superiors until his public
statements could no longer be condoned. In Dec. 1925 he was found guilty before
a court-martial of violating the all-inclusive 96th Article of War and was
suspended from duty for five years. In 1926, Mitchell resigned from the
service."

George Z.