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MILLING, T. DEWITT, BRIG. GEN. USAF. - BIOG FILE - FOLDER NO. 2 ITEM NO.5A

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM

and [[crossed out]] the necessary [[/crossed out]] erection of hangers and buildings.

At this time, there were two reputable and proved airplane manufsaturers in the country - one being Glenn Curtiss Hammondsport, N.Y., and the other the Wright Brothers at Dayton, Ohio also manufacturing the Wright airplanes under [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] Wright license was [[strikethrough]] patent as [[/strikethrough]] the Burgess-Curtis Company at Marblehead, Mass. Orders were placed for two Curtiss airplanes - one two-seater and one one-seater-, [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] two Wright-B airplanes and one Burgess [[strikethrough]] -Curbis [[/strikethrough]] Wright-B. As different types of controls were used on each type of airplane, it was necessary to have officers trained [[strikethrough]] Three civilian aviation schools were in operation at this time = one conducted [[/strikethrough]] by the Wright brothers at Dayton, Ohio and [[strikethrough]] the other two [[/strikethrough]] by Curtiss Company operating at [[strikethrough]] Hammondsport and [[/strikethrough]] San Diego Calif., [[strikethrough]] Since both types of airplanes had been ordered and were to be used by the Army, it was necessary that officers be taught to fly each type. [[/strikethrough]] As a consequence, the officers xxxx detailed to the Signal Corps to learn to pilot [[strikethrough]] operate these [[/strikethrough]] airplanes were divided between these schools. [[strikethrough]] 2nd [[/strikethrough]] Second Lieuts., Henry H. Arnold, 29th Inf., and [[strikethrough]] 2nd Lieut. [[/strikethrough]] T. DeWitt Milling, 15th Cavalry were [[strikethrough]] selected to be trained by [[/strikethrough]] sent to the Wright Brothers while 1st Lieut. Paul W. Beck, Signal Corps, 2nd Lieut. John C. Walker, 8th Infantry and 2nd Lieut. G. E. M. Kelly [[strikethrough]] were selected [[/strikethrough]] to [[strikethrough]] fly the [[/strikethrough]] Curtiss [[strikethrough]] airplane and were sent to [[/strikethrough]] at San Diego. [[strikethrough]] California for training. [[/strikethrough]]  

In April 1911 I was serving with the 15th Cavalry at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, having reported for [[strikethrough]] o [[/strikethrough]]duty [[strikethrough]] with them pre [[/strikethrough]] two years previously, in September 1909, following my graduation from the U.S. Military Academy in June of that year. During the fall maneuvers that same year in the vicinity of [[strikethrough]] My knowledge of aviation was, of course, scarse indeed. In the Fall of 1910 while my         with other troops had          marching at [[/strikethrough]]  Omaha, Nebraska, [[strikethrough]] for the [[strikethrough]]           I saw Frank Lahm fly the first [[strikethrough]] a [[strikethrough]]  small Signal Corps dirigible. In the Fall of the next year I had ridden my pony to the Polo Field for practice and found it occupied with Curtiss--type Airplane [[strikethrough]] (owner unknown) taxiing [[/strikethrough]] running [[strikethrough]] XXXXX madly back and forth the length of the field but showing neither the ability nor inclination to leave the ground. This was the first [[strikethrough]] airplane I had [[/strikethrough]] aircraft I had ever seen [[strikethrough]] but I was familiar with their general appearance as I had followed the press reports of the successful flights of the Wrights and of Glenn Curtiss, but this information [[/strikethrough]] and such limited knowledge hardly prepared me for a telegram which I received in early April 1911 from Captain Cowan asking me if I would accept 
Cowan
[[backwards]] 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM
[[/backwards]] 

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