Fulcrum of Power Essays on the United States Air Force and National Security
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Preface Fulcrum of Power Essays on the United States Air Force and National Security Herman S. Wolk Air Force History and Museums Program 2003 All photographs reproduced in this book are the property of the United States Air Force, with the following execptions: the photo on page 15 appears cour- tesy of Mrs. Darlene Gerhardt; the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library supplied the photograph appearing on page 27; the images on pages 229 and 231 are used courtesy of the United States Department of Energy; and the photograph on page 294 appears courtesy of the Historical Division of the JCS. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wolk, Herman S., 1931– Fulcrum of power : essays on the United States Air Force and national security / Herman S. Wolk. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. United States. Air Force — History. 2. Aeronautics, Military — United States — History. 3. Air power — United States. I Title. UG633.W6396 2003 358.4'00973 — dc21 2003005563 Preface Having been an Air Force historian for almost forty-five years, I have been in a unique position to observe the role of the United States Air Force (USAF) in national security affairs. Even with this vantage point, one hesitates to put together a collection of essays on the Air Force and national security, as this presupposes the reader’s interest not only in the subject but with a collection of essays published at intervals over a long period of time. This is to say that one trusts that the dated nature of essays is outweighed by insights provided to the reader in the context of important periods in the nation’s military history. Such are the pitfalls of the genre, and yet the essayist plunges ahead, trust- ing that the collection will illuminate the impact of air power technology and strategy upon national security affairs and diplomacy. I have included essays on Generals James H. Doolittle and George C. Kenney in order to add some spice to the collection and, moreover, to insert the careers of two great airmen whose long suit was character. I have attempted to arrange these essays chronologically, but a certain amount of repetition is nonetheless inherent in the collection. For this, I beg the reader’s patience. Although more years ago than I care to remember I had suggested a col- lection to the late John F. Loosbrock, editor-in-chief of Air Force Magazine; Richard P. Hallion, the Air Force Historian, brought up the idea at the dawn of the millenium, and for his enthusiasm and support I am deeply grateful. I owe a great debt to John Loosbrock, mentor and friend, always on hand with welcome guidance and keen insight. Richard M. Skinner, for many years managing editor of Air Force Magazine, was a constant source of inspiration and wise counsel. John Frisbee, former editor-in-chief of Air Force Magazine, friend and history devotee, edited with a sharp eye. Many thanks are due John T. Correll who for nearly twenty years had been editor-in-chief of Air Force Magazine and whose insightful repartee was always a delightful source of information. Thanks also to Robert Dudney, the present editor-in-chief of Air Force Magazine, and to Suzann Chapman, the managing editor, for their support. A special thank-you is due Colonel Carol Sikes, Commander, Air Force History Support Office, for her support in our daily early morning chats and for her unfailing sense of humor. iii Fulcrum of Power I want to thank my colleagues in the Office of Air Force History who — over several decades — were most generous with their insights into the histo- ry of the Air Force. Richard Wolf, production guru in the Air Force History Support Office, was, as usual, indispensable with his advice and wise counsel on the many edi- torial and production problems. Jack Neufeld, Chief, Production and Special Projects Division in the Air Force History Support Office, lent strong support and advice to the project. A special thank-you is due David Chenoweth for his superb knowledge of the Air Force photo collection. LaShawn Moten, with the help of Karen Nicholson, scanned these essays, persevering with grace and humor in a tedious task. Barbara Wittig, as always with a keen eye, rescued the author from numer- ous traps and edited this collection with patience, humor, discernment, and exceptional skill. I would be derelict if I failed to mention the help I received in the 1970s from Generals Ira Eaker and Curtis LeMay and Maj. Gen. Haywood “Possum” Hansell, Jr. All were most generous with their time, and their keen insights into Air Force history were greatly appreciated by a mere rookie. I should also mention the kindness of Stuart Symington, the first Secretary of the Air Force, who on several occasions took time from his law practice to answer questions and discuss Air Force history. This collection would not have been possible without my wife, Sandra Goldman Wolk, who provided such wonderful support during the decades when these essays were written in the confines of my study. This one is for her. HSW March 2003 iv Preface iii Introduction 1 WORLD WAR II THE FIRST AIR STAFF 7 DOOLITTLE: RENAISSANCE MAN OF AVIATION 17 PRELUDE TO WAR 27 THE OVERLORD AIR CONTROVERSY 39 THE GENIUS OF GEORGE C. KENNEY 51 GENERAL ARNOLD, THE ATOMIC BOMB, AND THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN 63 THE POSTWAR WORLD THE QUIET VICTORY 77 THE STRATEGIC WORLD OF 1946 91 PLANNING AND ORGANIZING THE AIR FORCE 103 ARNOLD, EISENHOWER, AND NORSTAD: THE FIGHT FOR AIR INDEPEN- DENCE 117 MEN WHO MADE THE AIR FORCE 129 WHEN THE COLOR LINE ENDED 143 ROLES AND MISSIONS THE DEFENSE UNIFICATION BATTLE, 1947–50 153 THE BATTLE OF THE B–36 167 THE QUIET COUP OF 1949 17 9 v THE KOREAN WAR TRUMAN’S WAR 191 THE FIRST FIVE YEARSOFTHEFIRST 50 203 THE COLD WAR THE BLUEPRINT FOR COLD WAR DEFENSE 217 THE NEW LOOK IN RETROSPECT 225 SCIENTISTS, POLITICS, AND THE BOMB 235 THE USES OF HISTORY IN THE NUCLEAR AGE 243 THE WAR IN SOUTHEAST ASIA THE NEW AMERICAN MILITARY 251 STRATEGIC SUPERIORITY AND VIETNAM 259 THE VIETNAM MANIPULATORS 267 REPRISE THE USAF IN THE DEFENSE ESTABLISHMENT 275 AMERICAN CHIEFTAINS 291 vi Introduction In the twentieth century, the impact of flight reached into every corner of American society. However, nowhere has its impact been more dramatic than in the realm of military affairs. Over the past one hundred years, the evolution of military aviation technology has altered the way Americans have looked at national security. The development of military aviation has had an enormous impact upon the battlefield which, in turn, has transformed international politics and the crafting of national security policy. The question of how best to protect the United States against external military threats has come to involve the projec- tion of military power abroad. With the passage of time and accelerated advancement of military aviation technology, the organization and develop- ment of air forces have assumed greater urgency and significance. In 1934, James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle noted that “the future security of our nation is dependent upon an adequate air force…this will become increasingly impor- tant as the science of aviation advances.” Today, the United States Air Force (USAF) is the world’s premier air arm. Among major nations, it is also the youngest, having been established in September 1947 in the wake of World War II. During the first half of the twen- tieth century, as part of the United States Army, the air arm was constantly striving for autonomy. Consequently, the question of how to organize military aviation increasingtly occupied the nation’s legislators. In 1937, Maj. Gen. Frank M. Andrews, one of this country’s great airmen, and a founder of the Air Force, emphasized: I don’t believe any balanced plan to provide the nation with an ade- quate, effective Air Force…can be obtained, within the limitations of the War Department budget, and without providing an organization individual to the needs of such an Air Force. Legislation to establish- such an organization…will continue to appear until this turbulent and vital problem is satisfactory solved. 1 Fulcrum of Power This “turbulent and vital problem” was not solved by the time the United States entered World War II. It was in the postwar era that the Army’s air arm rode to independence upon its contribution to victory in World War II. The war was not only the turning point in the drive for independence, but also for the nation’s conception of national security. It marked the deathbed of isolationism and ushered in an era of American global involvement. The onset of the Cold War saw the United States take the unprecedented action of building a peacetime nuclear deterrent force and a permanent national security establishment. General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, AAF Commander, architect of the post- war Air Force and a leader possessing rare insight — Theodore von Kármán, the eminent scientist, described Arnold as “a combination of complete logic, mingled with farsightedness and superb dedication” — foresaw the impact of air power even prior to the war. On the eve of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Arnold observed: “The development of the Air Force as a new and coordinated member of the combat team has introduced new methods of wag- ing war…The great range of the air arm makes it possible to strike far from the battlefield, and attack the sources of enemy military power. The mobility of the Air Force makes it possible to swing the mass of that striking power from those distant objectives to any selected portion of the battlefront in a matter of hours.” After World War II, in the atomic era, the increasing importance of air power to national security was foretold by Arnold, whose own career spanned the period from the time of the Wright brothers to the atomic bomb.