Date of Award

Spring 1963

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

History

Abstract

Since the beginning of time, man has looked to the skies for new ideas, but the first recorded recognition of the value of using air­ borne troops belongs to an American. The wily Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1784, after observing the Montgolfer brothers balloon, ''Where is the Prince who can afford to cover his country with troops for its defense as that ten thousand men descending from the clouds might not in many places do an infinite deal of mischief before a force could be brought together to repel them?" The advent of a practical airplane produced a flurry of latter day prophets who saw potential of the aircraft as a combat vehicle and a means of delivering combat troops to the battle zone.

A word or two is in order on the method of approach and the source materials used by the writer. For the most part, primary unpublished source materials such as files, letters, memos, speeches, and resumes of telephone conversations, and personal interviews were used in preparing the study. Only in writing Chapter I were secondary sources used. It was the intent of the writer to prepare a detailed and comprehensive account of the development of the courses of instruction using the experiences of those intimately connected with the program either as instructors, as supervisors, or as staff officers. Students were interviewed as well as course planners, administrators, and officers-in-charge. It is hoped that a detailed and fully-documented narrative of the events attending the establishment of new courses of instruction.aside from whatever contribution it will make to increasing knowledge in this area, will prove valuable to students of the military educational system and to Army Service School planners who may be called upon to establish similar courses of instruction in the future.

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