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Henry H. Arnold Quotes (1886-1950)
About Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold (June 25, 1886 β January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938β1941), commanding general of the United States Army Air Forces, the only United States Air Force general to hold five-star rank, and the only officer to hold a five-star rank in two different U.S. military services. Arnold was also the founder of Project RAND, which evolved into one of the world's largest non-profit global policy think tanks, the RAND Corporation, and was one of the founders of Pan American World Airways.
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βStrategic air attack is wasted if it is dissipated piecemeal in sporadic attacks between which enemy has an opportunity to readjust defenses or recuperate.β
βA modern, autonomous, and thoroughly trained Air Force in being at all times will not alone be sufficient, but without it there can be no national security.β
βThe technical genius which could find answers was not cooped up in military or civilian bureaucracy, but was to be found in universities and in the people at large.β
βTo win a war, one must try and kill as many men and destroy as much property as you can. If you can get mechanical machines to do this, then you are saving lives at the outset.β
βI saw this propellerless plane taxiing around the air field and making short flights. I knew then and there I must get the plans and specifications of that jet plane back to the United States.β
βOur Air Force belongs to those who come from ranks of labor, management, the farms, the stores, the professions and colleges and legislative halls...Air Power will always be the business of every American citizenβ
βAmerica owes its present prestige and standing in the air world in large measure to the money, time and effort expended in aeronautical experimentation and research. Our future supremacy in the air depends on the brains and efforts of our engineers.β
βThe idea which I carried out in the boys [sic] books was to give facts, interspersed by thrills and sensations, which would give the reader a comprehensive idea of the development of aviation. The thrills and sensations filled the boy's desire in that direction while he absorbed the facts.β
βAs a nation we were not prepared for World War II. Yes, we won the war, but at a terrific cost in lives, human suffering, and material, and at times the margin was narrow. History alone can reveal how many turning points there were, how many times we were near losing, and how our enemiesβ mistakes pulled us through. In the flush of victory, some like to forget these unpalatable truths.β
βWe tried to learn how to secure quantity production of airplanes the hard way. We never accepted the fundamental principle that an air-plane building program must be supervised by men who know how to design and construct airplanes.... Certainly, World War I definitely proved that trained aviation personnel can be turned out much faster than we can turn out airplanes. The truth is, the foundation for any workable production plan for aircraft must be built up in time of peace.β
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Henry H. Arnold on Technology
βThe technical genius which could find answers ... was not cooped up in military or civilian bureaucracy, but was to be found in universities and in the people at large.β
What Henry H. Arnold Said About Others
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Henry H. Arnold on Joseph Stalin
βThe following afternoon we had a conference with the President, and from 4:00 until 7:00 met with all the "Big Three." Seated around the table, in order, were: The Prime Minister, next to him Anthony Eden, then Sir John Dill, Air Chief Marshal Portal, then the Russian Voroshilov, then Stalin, then Molotov, then myself, then Admiral King, General Marshall, the President, then an interpreter, Admiral Leahy, Admiral Cunningham, then Sir Alan Brooke, and another interpreter. Not having met Stalin the day before, I turned to Mr. Molotov and said, "I should like to meet Marshal Stalin." There was considerable discussion- several long minutes. I don't know whether, in my expression, I had used the wrong words, or whether in being interpreted it had acquired another meaning. Perhaps, translated, it meant I was challenging Stalin to a duel. Anyway, I saw I wasn't getting anywhere, so I turned to Molotov and said, "Listen! All I want to do is to say, 'How do you do' to Marshal Stalin, to meet him, that's all." Apparently, Molotov and the interpreter understood, because they then introduced me to Stalin, and everything was O.K.β
About Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold (June 25, 1886 β January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938β1941), commanding general of the United States Army Air Forces, the only United States Air Force general to hold five-star rank, and the only officer to hold a five-star rank in two different U.S. military services. Arnold was also the founder of Project RAND, which evolved into one of the world's largest non-profit global policy think tanks, the RAND Corporation, and was one of the founders of Pan American World Airways.