Rank:

Lieutenant Colonel

Awarded on:

1937

"For extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight as Pilot and Commanding Officer of a bombardment squadron of ten airplanes, from Washington D.C. to Fairbanks, Alaska, and return, from 19 July 1934 to 20 August 1934. By his untiring energy, fearless leadership and extraordinary professional skill, Lieutenant Colonel Arnold organized, directed, and completed over 18,000 miles of exceptionally dangerous flying, including a non stop flight from Juneau, Alaska, to Seattle, Washington, a distance of 950 miles over water, under extremely adverse weather conditions, without the loss of personnel or equipment, to demonstrate successfully the mobility of the Air Force and to establish new records for the Army Air Corps in aerial photography and long distance mass formation flying."

War Department, General Orders No. 1

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant General

Unit:

Chief of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Army Air Forces

Awarded on:

October 1942

"For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in the performance of duties of great responsibility as Chief of the Air Corps from 29 September 1938 to 31 May 1941, as Deputy Chief of Staff for Air from 29 November 1940 to 8 March 1942, and as Chief of the Army Air Forces from 20 June 1941 to 8 March 1942. He performed the duties required by the office in a superior manner during the most strenuous and trying period in the history of the air arm. During this period, an Air Corps Program of Expansion and Procurement was inaugurated whereby the personnel of the Air Forces was increased in excess of a thousand per cent and the number of aircraft increased proportionately. A program of expansion and procurement of this magnitude demanded comprehensive planning, its execution required outstanding ability, foresight, and leadership, all of which were exhibited by General Arnold in a high degree. He impressed this high quality of leadership, so vitally needed during this period."

War Department, General Orders No. 51

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General

Unit:

Chief of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Army Air Forces

Awarded on:

March 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General

Unit:

Chief of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Army Air Forces

Awarded on:

1943

"For his organization and leadership of the Army Air Forces throughout the world."

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General of the Army

Awarded on:

October 25th, 1945

"For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in the performance of duties of great responsibility as Commander of the Army Air Forces during World War II. To him fell the mission of building American air power for a global war in which victory or defeat depended on control of the skies. He fulfilled his mission in a manner that overwhelmed this nation's enemies and awed its allies. He welded the civilian productive genius of the aircraft industry, an expert military nucleus and more than 2,000,000 American soldiers to form an indomitable, unprecedented destructive weapon which coordinated with our land and sea forces to obliterate the Axis powers. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United States and British Combined Chiefs of Staff, General Arnold helped shape the strategy and direct the resources of the victorious Allied forces. His wide knowledge of the employment of air power was of great value to the deliberations of the Chiefs of Staff. From concept to execution, General Arnold's leadership guided the mightiest air force in history. No single factor of the great allied victories was more vital than the destruction of the capacity of Germany and Japan to wage modern technological warfare. The long range precision attacks of massed air power which accomplished this objective were the products of his genius. At the same time General Arnold directed the training and equipment of the United States Tactical Air Force so that when the great decisive three-dimensional battles of World War II were joined, his fighters and attack bombers were ready to sweep the skies of the enemy and deny him mobility on the surface. During the growth of the Air Arm, General Arnold constantly increased the effectiveness of its activities by imaginative conceptions concerning the application of air power to strategy and tactics and by the development of potent new weapons. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of General Arnold and his dedicated contributions in the service of his country reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Army Air Forces."

War Department, General Orders No. 92 (Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Army Distinguished Service Medal)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General of the Army

Awarded on:

June 26th, 1946

"For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility as Commanding General of the Army Air Forces during the period from March 1942 to April 1944. General Arnold directed air activities for the nation's global war against Germany and Japan. Under him the air arm grew from 22,000 officers and men with 3,900 planes to nearly 2,500,000 men and 75,000 aircraft. Early in 1943 General Arnold made a 35,000-mile tour of North Africa, Middle East, India and China, and attended the Casablanca Conferences. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of General Arnold reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Army Air Forces."

G.O. 61 (Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Third Award of the Army Distinguished Service Medal)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General of the Army

Unit:

U.S. Army Air Force

Awarded on:

December 14th, 1946

Royal decree no. 2

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

General of the Army

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)