The Warden Collection (merged thread)

[slapout9]

In 1947 LTG James M. Gavin would(former Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division) publish a book called "Airborne Warfare." It was about how the future of our country depended upon Air Power. An exert from the book is published below. By the end of the year "The Great Divorce" would happen. The Army Air Corps would become a independent service. The United States Air Force was created.

It was 2,200 yeas later when sea power reached its full potential. Then, in the battle of Normandy, the Allied powers, using hundreds of seacraft of all types, invaded the Continent of Europe. The sea was used to its fullest. It is significant, however, that part of the invading forces were transported by AIR. It was significant because that battle saw sea power at its peak. AIR power was just beginning. And this is the critical point that we have arrived at, and this is the competition we are in. This media that envelops us we must use. We must imagine, design, and develop the means and methods of using it. We must--if our people and our institutions are to survive. For the people with their institutions who best learn how to use this media will survive in this highly competitive world.
AIR power is now the decisive element in modern war. And by AIR power is meant every contribution to waging war that man has created and that can be flown. Men, weapons, ammunition, food, bombs, missiles, and all that it will take to fight a future war must FLY. Clearly, therefore, in the development of our AIR power and Airborne potential changes must be made in our ground force equipment as well as in our Air Force equipment.

The new independent Air Force was going to change everything. A mental Atomic bomb had been dropped on the Army. The Navy was figuring out that in order to survive it needed to go Atomic and to go under the water, that too was going to change everything or was it? It was starting to appear that an Air Force (really an Airplane Force ) and the Atomic Submarine Navy, and maybe a few good Marines were all we needed. There wasn't going to be anything left for the Army to do.....or was the Army about to deliver the Change of all Changes. A change in the very concept of what a weapon is and most important a conceptual change of what an organization is.

Stay tuned for part 4.