Born
during the American Civil War, Patrick was the son of a Confederate
surgeon. He graduated second in his West Point class of 1886, which also
included future military leaders John J. Pershing and Charles T. Menoher.
Upon graduation, he joined the Army Corps of Engineers. In 1916, as a
colonel, he led the First Regiment of Engineers in the Punitive
Expedition against Pancho Villa in Mexico and when America entered the
World War in 1917, he was sent to Europe as a brigadier general
overseeing the construction of the ports, railroads, depots, and
airfields needed to support the American Expeditionary Forces.
Patrick’s wartime career as an engineer ended on May 10, 1918, when his
old classmate Jack Pershing asked him to assume command of the Air
Service. Feeling that personality clashes among its leadership were
hurting the Air Service’s effectiveness, Pershing sought Patrick’s
exceptional organizational and administrative skills to "whip it into
shape." Despite reservations, Patrick accepted the position. He
instituted realistic plans and discipline to the unit and by the end of
the war, the Air Service had become efficient and well run. Patrick then
oversaw the demobilization of the combat Air Service units and returned
to the Corps of Engineers, planning to spend his last few years until
retirement as commander of the army’s engineering school.
But by
1921, the Air Service had fallen into disarray again. With the decrease
in defence spending after the war, the Air Service’s budget had been cut
by 60 percent between 1919 and 1921. At the end of the war, it had
counted almost 2,219 officers, but by 1921, only 950 remained. Billy
Mitchell was staging bombing tests against naval targets to prove that
aviation deserved a larger share of the military budget, but his public
crusading was doing more to damage the cause than further it. Because
Air Service Chief Charles T. Menoher was unable to manage Mitchell,
Menoher was asked to resign. The War Department then turned to Patrick,
who seemed to be the only army officer who could manage Mitchell. He was
assigned to "come in and shake the foolishness out of this new service
and sit on the lid."
On
arrival, Patrick studied the Air Service’s operations. He quickly
understood the degree to which budget cuts were destroying the service’s
ability to fulfil its mission. During 1923 congressional budget
hearings, Patrick said that the budget cuts had left an Air Service that
was "practically demobilized and unable to play its part in any national
emergency with its present inadequate strength and organization." The
Air Service had too few pilots flying too few outdated airplanes. World
War I surplus planes still formed the base of the Air Service, and most
of these were not well maintained--in 1922, the Air Service counted
3,369 planes, but only 910 were usable. With the rapid improvements in
aircraft design, even these planes were obsolete, and would be
liabilities if they had to go into combat. Patrick fought to increase
the Air Service’s size, adding personnel, especially trained pilots, and
building up the supply of equipment. This would ensure that the Air
Service would be able to enter combat on the first day of war to gain
air superiority and maintain it.
Patrick knew he had to learn to fly in order to gain the respect of his
men. So, at the age of 59, he earned his pilots license. He flew
whenever possible to demonstrate his confidence in the Air Service’s
equipment and personnel. And although in 1920, he had spoken out
publicly against an independent air service, he began changing his mind
after he took over the Air Service. As an experienced military man, he
knew that while the principles of war never change, the weapons do. He
learned about the theories of aerial warfare and studied the results of
World War I. He realized that airplanes were most effective when used
for offense. He began to embrace the theory that military aviation could
be divided into two areas: air service (attached to ground units,
performing tasks such as reconnaissance and artillery targeting) and air
force (pursuit, bombardment, and other units devoted to offensive
purposes). Because air force activity did not depend on coordination
with ground units, Patrick felt there was no reason it had to be part of
the army. This theory became the backbone of his campaign for an
independent air service.
Patrick encouraged his senior staff to lobby for independence. He wrote
articles aimed at military personnel and lectured at the War and Staff
Colleges. But he was also realistic and knew that he needed to build
successes gradually within the system without alienating anyone. He used
his experience and political acumen to slowly lobby and work toward
independence.
Unfortunately, Patrick’s staff did not always understand the need for
tact and diplomacy. Billy Mitchell continued to provoke the General
Staff, despite Patrick’s efforts to protect him. From 1921 to 1924, he
was sent on fact-finding missions, and from there he was assigned to a
base in Texas. When Mitchell was finally court-martialled, there was
nothing Patrick could do to help him without damaging his own crusade
for independence. Yet, he did order his executive assistant, Ira Eaker,
to provide Mitchell’s defence team with any Air Service files it might
need.
Patrick introduced a carefully crafted bill in January 1926 that would
give the Air Service limited autonomy, similar to the Marine Corps.
After many changes and much debate, the Army Air Corps Act of 1926 was
passed in June. The Air Service was now the Air Corps, the name change
reflecting its new independence. Personnel were increased, with 90
percent of all officers required to be pilots. A five-year expansion
plan for personnel and equipment was created. And the contracting system
was revised, allowing for better collaboration between the Corps and
industry.
Many
officers wanted to hold out for total independence and found the Air
Corps Act unsatisfactory. But in Patrick’s eyes, it was a success. It
addressed many of the problems that he had been trying to correct,
especially in terms of personnel. He knew that this was the first step
toward autonomy. The future of an independent air branch was now
ensured.
General Patrick retired the next year. He had led American military
aviation through its most controversial years, lending his wisdom,
leadership, and organizational and managerial experience to provide
structure and focus. He called his years of service "the most strenuous,
most interesting years" of his life. Since his retirement, Patrick’s
service has been obscured by flashier personalities such as Billy
Mitchell or Benjamin Foulois. Even the air force base named after him in
Florida has been overshadowed by the adjacent NASA facility, Cape
Canaveral. But it was Patrick’s calm and political acumen that brought
military aviation through its brash adolescence into independent
adulthood.