Carlos Pargas
Period 2
Honors World History
Sample WW2 Important People Project
Hap Arnold
(This took me 25 minutes to do. You are going to need at least an hour)
What country were they born in?: The United States
Who were their parents (where were they born, their jobs) and what was their childhood like?:His father was a doctor and part of legendary military family whose descendants had fought in every American war since the Revolution. His mom came from a farm family and was the first member of her family to go to high school.
What schools and training did they get? Hap Arnold wanted to become a priest, but his brother refused to go to the United States Military Academy at West Point. So, to continue his family’s military legacy he went to West Point. He loved horses and wanted to join the Calvary, but instead he became an infantry officer. Soon, he transferred to the Army Signal Corps where he was eventually learned to fly airplanes at a school created by the Wright Brothers.
What was their job during WW1 (the years 1914-1918)? Since the United States was neutral for most of the war, Arnold was mostly training new pilots and testing new planes. When the US entered World War 1, he was given a job in Washington DC organizing research and money for the army’s airplanes.
What were their job(s) before WW2 (from 1918 to 1936)? He continued training pilots and testing airplanes. He was mostly trying to convince the United States government to invest more money into their military airplanes. He is credited with helping develop long range bombers such as the B-24 and the B-17
What were the difficulties in their lives and/or country that affected them the most? He nearly had a very bad airplane accident when he was first learning to fly. He felt very strongly about making airplanes safer. Also, he believed that that airplanes were going to have a huge impact on future wars. He worked hard to convince the US government to invest money in building up and improving their warplanes.
What did they do during WW2 (jobs, failures, and achievements)? He became Chief of the Army Air Forces. He was in charge of all When he started the US Army had 3,900 planes. When the war ended the army had 75,000 planes.
What happened to them after WW2 (What were their jobs? How did they die?)? After the war he helped create a brand new branch of the military: The United States Air Force. He retired shortly afterwards. Unfortunately, he suffered 4 heart attacks during WW2. In 1950, he suffered a fatal heart attack at his home in California. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery