Thomas D. Milling: Difference between revisions

{{RefimproveMore citations needed|date=November 2011}}

|birth_place= Winfield, [[Winnfield, Louisiana]]

|death_place= [[Walter Reed Army Medical Center|Walter Reed Hospital]]

|caption=Thomas DeWitt Milling as a Colonel.colonel

|serviceyears=1909-19331909–1933<br/>1942-19461942–1946

|awards=[[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]]<br/>[[Legion of Merit]]<br/>[[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Officer of the Order of Leopold]] (Belgium)<br/>[[Legion d'Honneur]] (France)

[[File:TurpinThomas 2163467736D. 5f339b91a6Milling, oUnited States Naval Lieutenant before 1913 (cropped).jpg|thumb|400px350x350px|Milling andsitting [[Jamesat Cliffordthe Turpin|Cliffcontrols of a Turpin]]biplane inbefore 19121913]]

Milling was born to [[Judge]] Robert E. Milling and the former Ida Roberts in [[Winnfield, Louisiana|Winnfield]], Louisiana, the seat of [[Winn Parish]], and attended public schools in [[Franklin, Louisiana|Franklin]], the seat of [[St. Mary Parish, Louisiana|St. Mary Parish]]. He was appointed a [[cadet]] in the [[United States Military Academy]] on June 15, 1905. He and graduated on June 11, 1909, with the degree of [[bachelorBachelor of scienceScience]] and commissioned a [[lieutenant|second lieutenant]], [[Cavalry]].

''"Up to this time the Army had no prescribed tests for qualification as an airplane pilot. Now it adopted the FAI regulations and required all army fliers to pass these tests in order to be rated as pilots. All qualification certificates for airplane, airship, and balloon pilots were issued by the Aero Club of America, the only U.S. representative for the FAI."'' (from the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]], Centenniel of Flight exhibition)

After completing their training, Milling and Arnold reported to [[College Park Airport|College Park, Maryland]], detailed to the [[Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps]] to instruct the commander of the division flight school, Capt.Captain [[Charles DeF.DeForest Chandler]], who had only balloon experience, and his adjutant, 1st Lt. [[Roy SCarrington Kirtland|Roy C. Kirtland]], in operating the Wright airplane. The school officially opened on July 3, 1911, and taught ten students, including two members of the National Guard.

In 1915, he and [[Byron Q. Jones]] were the first army aviators to perform aan aerial combat reconnaissance mission.<ref>

|url=httphttps://books.google.com/books?id=Br3zsp8pvGYC&pg=PA15

On July 23, 1914, Milling was promoted to first lieutenant and served again as a flying instructor, at [[Galveston, Texas]], and San Diego. In August 1914, Milling accompanied the U.S. Relief Commission to Europe to assist in the repatriation of Americans stranded in war-torn Europe. In March 1916, he was again detailed to the Office of the Chief Signal Officer and promoted twice (to captain July 31, 1916, and to [[Lieutenant Colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]] August 5, 1917). In August 1917, he was placed in charge of Air Service Training in Europe, and in October 1918 succeeded [[Billy Mitchell]] as chief of the Air Service of the [[U.S. First Army]], [[American Expeditionary Force]], and promoted to [[colonel]].

Milling then attended the [[Command and General Staff School]] at Fort Leavenworth. Graduating in June 1927, he was assigned to the War Plans Section, Office of Chief of the Air Corps in Washington, D.C., where his duties were mainly administrative in connection with war planning and legislation. In June 1930, Milling was sent to the [[Colorado]] [[United States National Guard|National Guard]] in [[Denver, Colorado]] to serve as an Air Corps instructor. In September 1931, he served briefly at [[Rockwell Field|Rockwell Air Depot]], California, then was admitted to [[Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center|FitzsimmonsFitzsimons General Hospital]], Denverin [[Aurora, Colorado]], where he was a patient from October 1931 to July 31, 1933, when he retired from active duty due to poor health.

During [[World War II]], Milling was recalled to active duty as a [[Major (United States)|major]] on March 16, 1942, to serve on the War Department Decorations Board in Washington, D.C., and was promoted to lieutenant colonel April 27, 1942, and to colonel September 24, 1942. In December 1942, he served as the air representative on the [[United States Congress]] Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee and later was a member of the Joint Intelligence Staff in the office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, until December 1943, when he returned to the War Department Decorations Board, serving until March 1946. Milling again retired on July 24, 1946.

Milling again retired on July 24, 1946. He died at [[Walter Reed Army Medical Center|Walter Reed General Hospital]] on November 26, 1960.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107309758/veteran-pilot-taught-by-wright-dies/ |title=Veteran Pilot, Taught By Wright, Dies at 73 |newspaper=[[The Bellingham Herald]] |location=Washington |agency=AP |page=3 |date=1960-11-27 |access-date=2022-08-09 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Although Milling never actively served as a general officer, he was advanced on the retired list to the rank of [[Brigadier General (United States)|brigadier general]], with his date of rank retroactive to June 13, 1940.

General Milling has been awarded a number of decorations, including the [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]]; [[Legion of Merit]]; Most Excellent [[Order of the British Empire]], degree of Honorary Officer; Officer of the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)]]; French [[Legion d'Honneur]] (Chevalier).

*Nalty, Bernard C., editor, ''Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A History of the United States Air Force'' (1997), {{ISBN |0-16-049009-X}}

[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (UnitedUS StatesArmy)]]

[[Category:OfficersHonorary officers of the Order of Leopoldthe British (Belgium)Empire]]

[[Category:Honorary OfficersKnights of the OrderLegion of the British EmpireHonour]]