MacArthur and the Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell

MacArthur Memorial Podcast

In 1925, the court-martial of Billy Mitchell captured national attention. At the center of the controversy was Billy Mitchell, a man who is today recognized as the father of the United States Air Force.

Then Major General Douglas MacArthur, who later described the order to sit on Mitchell's court-martial as "one of the most distasteful orders” he ever received, was the youngest judge on the court. He was also a longtime friend of Mitchell – and one of the only judges who did not have a negative view of Mitchell. However, as an ambitious officer who was said to be on the path to becoming chief of staff of the U.S. Army, how did MacArthur navigate the politics of the trial? Did he vote to convict Mitchell?
In this episode, MacArthur Memorial historians Jim Zobel and Amanda Williams discuss these questions and more!

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