William”Billy” Mitchell [1879 1936] was an United States Army general who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell began his military career in 1898, and was a veteran of the Spanish-American War and World War I where he commanded at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and commanded all American air combat units in France. After the war he was appointed deputy director of the Air Service and he began advocating increased investment in air power, believing that this would prove vital in future wars. He argued particularly for the ability of bombers to sink battleships and organized a series of bombing runs against stationary ships designed to test the idea. He antagonized many people in the Army with his arguments and criticism and in 1925, was demoted from the rank of general to his permanent rank of colonel. Later in that year he was court-martialed for insubordination after accusing Army and Navy leaders of a treasonable administration of national defense for investing in battleships instead of aircraft carriers. Colonel Mitchell resigned from the United Sates Army in 1926. Mitchell received many honors following his death in 1936, including a commission by President Franklin Roosevelt as a Major General. He is also the only individual after whom a type of American military aircraft, the North American B-25 Mitchell, is named. The document is a check written on the Merchants Bank of Washington, dated August 15, 1921, and signed”WM. Mitchell” in black fountain pen. The check is completed in his hand, measures 3.25 x 8.00 inches, it has trivial toning/edge wear otherwise it is in fine condition. The autograph of general Mitchell is rare and next to impossible to obtain for the military collector. The autograph is authentic, hand signed and is a nice example of this legendary Army commander and aviation pioneer. We have listed a nice collection of military, aviation, explorers and astronaut autographs. Check out my other items. All our autographs are researched and guaranteed authentic without time limits. Be sure to add me to your favorites list. The item “General Billy Mitchell Autograph”Father Of The United States Air Force’Rare” is in sale since Thursday, July 30, 2015. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Autographs\Military”. The seller is “collectors.view” and is located in West Hempstead, New York. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Signed by: General William Mitchell