ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, Feb. 20, l936

• William - Billy Mitchell death
• "Father of the U.S. Air Force"
• United States Army officer
• World War I - WWI leader

The top of the front page has a one column heading: "GEN. MITCHELL, STORMY CRITIC OF U. S. AVIATION, DIES" with subheads. Photo of Mitchel is on page 2. (see images)
Complete first 2 sections only with 18 pages, light toning at the margins, some small binding holes along the spine, generally very nice.

Background: Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, widely regarded as the "Father of the U.S. Air Force," reshaped military doctrine by proving that airpower would revolutionize modern warfare. After successfully leading American air combat operations in World War I, Mitchell dramatically demonstrated aviation's dominance in 1921 by using bombers to sink the captured German battleship USS Ostfriesland, proving aircraft could destroy capital ships long thought invulnerable. His relentless, outspoken campaign for an independent air force and air superiority ultimately led to his 1925 court-martial for insubordination after publicly criticizing military leadership, yet his foresight was fully vindicated in World War II, earning him a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal and enduring legacy as America's greatest pioneer of strategic airpower.