Odas Moon
Encyclopedia
Odas Moon was an American aviation
pioneer who was among a team of United States Army Air Corps
(USAAC) aviators to break endurance records by performing aerial refueling
. Moon was a founding member of the Order of Daedalians
. Through his teaching and leadership at the Air Corps Tactical School
, Moon helped shape and promote the concept of daylight precision bombing, using heavy bomber
s.
fliers, Moon was assigned to fly patrols along the Mexico – United States border from May to September, 1919. As part of his duties, Moon ferried a Mexican colonel back to Puerto Palomas, Chihuahua
, Mexico.
In January 1924, Moon was flying a delivery of mail to an American Army base in the Panama Canal Zone
when he discovered an American invasion fleet lying in wait 125 mile away from Panama. The fleet was made up of four battleships, a carrier and attendant vessels. Their plan was to surprise and "defeat" the defenders of Panama as part of annual winter maneuvers. Moon was carrying a case of ripe tomatoes to give to his wife, and he proceeded to carry out a series of dive bombing attacks against the USS Langley
, delivering three direct hits from tomato "bombs". When he landed at the Panama base with the information that the fleet was coming, Moon was congratulated by his superiors. Soon, though, word was passed back regarding an unspoken goal of the surprise invasion fleet: they were there to prove that the Canal Zone needed a $10M purchase of 16-inch coastal defense guns. After the invasion fleet was discovered by an air unit while still 125 miles out, the need for coastal guns was no longer seen as urgent by Congress. However, air defense doctrine was not re-examined as a result.
In 1924 or 1925, Moon taught bombardment to new airmen at Kelly Field in Texas. Among his students was Charles Lindbergh
who, in 1970, wrote a letter to Senator Ralph Yarborough
of Texas describing his memories of the foundational experience he was given by Moon.
As a trusted member of the 7th Bombardment Group
, First Lieutenant Moon was selected to take part in the endurance demonstration flight of the Question Mark
, a modified Atlantic-Fokker C-2A
. During January 1–7, 1929, Moon piloted one of two aerial refueling
aircraft, a Douglas C-1
based out of Van Nuys Airport
, and helped refuel the Question Mark as it flew for six days back and forth between San Diego
and Van Nuys, California. Moon and his crew refueled the Question Mark sixteen times—two conducted at night. The Question Mark set a world record for endurance.
The USAAC followed up the flight of the Question Mark with a mission to demonstrate the applicability of aerial refueling in combat. On May 21, 1929, during annual maneuvers, Moon took off from Fairfield Air Depot
in Dayton, Ohio
in a Keystone LB-7 on a simulated mission to New York City
via Washington, D.C.
Plans were for the bomber to be refueled in flight several times, drop a flash bomb over New York harbor and a parachute flare over Atlantic City
, then return to Dayton non-stop, again by way of Washington. The C-1 tanker employed to refuel the LB-7 was forced by icing to land in Uniontown, Pennsylvania
, where it got stuck in mud. After flying over Manhattan
, Moon circled south to drop three flares in the harbor near the Statue of Liberty
. Moon landed at Bolling Field. The next day the tanker joined the bomber and both flew over New York where they made a public demonstration of air refueling and four dry runs.
, a group of former World War I
-era military pilots who formed the organization on March 26, 1934. Under Harold L. George
, Moon served as the first vice commander of the group.
(ACTS). From 1933 at the rank of captain until January 29, 1936, at the rank of major, Moon was assigned to teach at ACTS. Moon challenged his students to thoroughly examine the bombardment theories he presented so they could discover any flaws. There, Moon joined Harold L. George, Eugene L. Eubank, Haywood S. Hansell
and Ralph A. Snavely in arguing for the primacy of an independent bomber arm. Moon was vocal in his rebuttal of the arguments used by a group of ACTS teachers who were promoting fighters
as the all-around useful aircraft that the USAAC should invest in. The fighter enthusiasts—Claire Chennault, Hoyt S. Vandenberg and Earle E. Partridge
—argued that the fighter in large numbers was capable of doing more damage to ground targets than the number of bombers that could be bought for the same money. Moon and the so-called "Bomber mafia
" tore the fighter argument apart and established precision bombing as the war-winning strategy.
, Virginia
to be retired from active service which was to have taken effect on December 31, 1937.
Retired Air Force Major General Eugene L. Eubank said in a 1982 interview that Odas Moon, a very close friend of his, "drank himself to death". Eubank said that he and "Odie" Moon had served in the Air Corps together from 1919 on the Mexico–U.S. border flights and had been devoted friends ever since. Eubank served as Moon's copilot in May 1929 for the New York aerial refueling demonstration.
During World War II
, all of Moon's staff mates and commanders at ACTS went on to become influential general officers, as did all four officers on board the Question Mark and two of the officers flying with him in the tankers.
All the crew members of the Question Mark were given Distinguished Flying Cross
es, but none of the tanker crews were so honored. Instead, Moon and the others received letters of commendation. On May 26, 1976, the two surviving tanker crewmembers—retired brigadier generals Ross G. Hoyt and Joseph G. Hopkins—were awarded the DFC for their exceptional contributions to air-to-air refueling by Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
General David C. Jones.
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
pioneer who was among a team of United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
(USAAC) aviators to break endurance records by performing aerial refueling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
. Moon was a founding member of the Order of Daedalians
Order of Daedalians
The Order of Daedalians is a fraternal and professional order of American military pilots. The namesake of the order is Daedalus who according to Greek mythology was the first person to achieve heavier-than-air flight.-History:...
. Through his teaching and leadership at the Air Corps Tactical School
Air Corps Tactical School
The Air Corps Tactical School, also known as ACTS and "the Tactical School", was a military professional development school for officers of the United States Army Air Service and United States Army Air Corps, the first such school in the world. Created in 1920 at Langley Field, Virginia, it...
, Moon helped shape and promote the concept of daylight precision bombing, using heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
s.
Early career
Along with many other United States Army Air ServiceUnited States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
fliers, Moon was assigned to fly patrols along the Mexico – United States border from May to September, 1919. As part of his duties, Moon ferried a Mexican colonel back to Puerto Palomas, Chihuahua
Puerto Palomas, Chihuahua
Puerto Palomas de Villa, also known simply as Palomas, is a small town of 4,688 people in the municipality of Ascensión, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua...
, Mexico.
In January 1924, Moon was flying a delivery of mail to an American Army base in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
when he discovered an American invasion fleet lying in wait 125 mile away from Panama. The fleet was made up of four battleships, a carrier and attendant vessels. Their plan was to surprise and "defeat" the defenders of Panama as part of annual winter maneuvers. Moon was carrying a case of ripe tomatoes to give to his wife, and he proceeded to carry out a series of dive bombing attacks against the USS Langley
USS Langley (CV-1)
USS Langley was the United States Navy's first aircraft carrier, converted in 1920 from the collier USS Jupiter , and also the U.S. Navy's first electrically propelled ship...
, delivering three direct hits from tomato "bombs". When he landed at the Panama base with the information that the fleet was coming, Moon was congratulated by his superiors. Soon, though, word was passed back regarding an unspoken goal of the surprise invasion fleet: they were there to prove that the Canal Zone needed a $10M purchase of 16-inch coastal defense guns. After the invasion fleet was discovered by an air unit while still 125 miles out, the need for coastal guns was no longer seen as urgent by Congress. However, air defense doctrine was not re-examined as a result.
In 1924 or 1925, Moon taught bombardment to new airmen at Kelly Field in Texas. Among his students was Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
who, in 1970, wrote a letter to Senator Ralph Yarborough
Ralph Yarborough
Ralph Webster Yarborough was a Texas Democratic politician who served in the United States Senate and was a leader of the progressive or liberal wing of his party in his many races for statewide office...
of Texas describing his memories of the foundational experience he was given by Moon.
Aerial refueling
7th Bomb Wing
The 7th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force. It is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, where it is also the host unit....
, First Lieutenant Moon was selected to take part in the endurance demonstration flight of the Question Mark
Question Mark (aircraft)
The Question Mark was a modified Atlantic-Fokker C-2A airplane flown by aviators of the United States Army Air Corps to experiment with aerial refueling in 1929. It was used to establish new world records in aviation for sustained flight , refueled flight, sustained flight , and distance...
, a modified Atlantic-Fokker C-2A
Fokker F.VII
The Fokker F.VII, also known as the Fokker Trimotor, was an airliner produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, and other companies under licence....
. During January 1–7, 1929, Moon piloted one of two aerial refueling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
aircraft, a Douglas C-1
Douglas C-1
-References:NotesBibliography* Forden, Lesley. The Ford Air Tours: 1925-1931. New Brighton Minnesota: Aviation Foundation of America, 2003, First edition 1972. No ISBN....
based out of Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport
Van Nuys Airport is a public airport located in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley section of the city limits of Los Angeles, California, United States. No major commercial airlines fly into this airport; it is used by private, chartered, and small commercial aircraft...
, and helped refuel the Question Mark as it flew for six days back and forth between San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
and Van Nuys, California. Moon and his crew refueled the Question Mark sixteen times—two conducted at night. The Question Mark set a world record for endurance.
The USAAC followed up the flight of the Question Mark with a mission to demonstrate the applicability of aerial refueling in combat. On May 21, 1929, during annual maneuvers, Moon took off from Fairfield Air Depot
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
in a Keystone LB-7 on a simulated mission to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
via Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Plans were for the bomber to be refueled in flight several times, drop a flash bomb over New York harbor and a parachute flare over Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, then return to Dayton non-stop, again by way of Washington. The C-1 tanker employed to refuel the LB-7 was forced by icing to land in Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
, where it got stuck in mud. After flying over Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, Moon circled south to drop three flares in the harbor near the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
. Moon landed at Bolling Field. The next day the tanker joined the bomber and both flew over New York where they made a public demonstration of air refueling and four dry runs.
Order of Daedalians
Moon was a charter member of the Order of DaedaliansOrder of Daedalians
The Order of Daedalians is a fraternal and professional order of American military pilots. The namesake of the order is Daedalus who according to Greek mythology was the first person to achieve heavier-than-air flight.-History:...
, a group of former World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
-era military pilots who formed the organization on March 26, 1934. Under Harold L. George
Harold L. George
Harold Lee George was an American aviation pioneer who helped shape and promote the concept of daylight precision bombing...
, Moon served as the first vice commander of the group.
Bomber mafia
As a first lieutenant, Moon graduated from the class of 1930–1931 at the Air Corps Tactical SchoolAir Corps Tactical School
The Air Corps Tactical School, also known as ACTS and "the Tactical School", was a military professional development school for officers of the United States Army Air Service and United States Army Air Corps, the first such school in the world. Created in 1920 at Langley Field, Virginia, it...
(ACTS). From 1933 at the rank of captain until January 29, 1936, at the rank of major, Moon was assigned to teach at ACTS. Moon challenged his students to thoroughly examine the bombardment theories he presented so they could discover any flaws. There, Moon joined Harold L. George, Eugene L. Eubank, Haywood S. Hansell
Haywood S. Hansell
Haywood Shepherd Hansell Jr., was a general officer in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and later the United States Air Force...
and Ralph A. Snavely in arguing for the primacy of an independent bomber arm. Moon was vocal in his rebuttal of the arguments used by a group of ACTS teachers who were promoting fighters
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
as the all-around useful aircraft that the USAAC should invest in. The fighter enthusiasts—Claire Chennault, Hoyt S. Vandenberg and Earle E. Partridge
Earle E. Partridge
Earle Everard "Pat" Partridge was an United States Air Force general.Partridge enlisted in the United States Army in July 1918 at Fort Slocum, New York, and was assigned to the 5th Engineer Training Regiment...
—argued that the fighter in large numbers was capable of doing more damage to ground targets than the number of bombers that could be bought for the same money. Moon and the so-called "Bomber mafia
Bomber Mafia
The Bomber Mafia were a close-knit group of American military men who believed that long-range heavy bomber aircraft in large numbers were able to win a war...
" tore the fighter argument apart and established precision bombing as the war-winning strategy.
Death and legacy
Moon was relieved of duty at ACTS on January 29, 1936 and died at the age of 45 on November 19, 1937. At the time of his death, Moon had been waiting in the Hotel Chamberlin, Old Point ComfortOld Point Comfort
Old Point Comfort is a point of land located in the independent city of Hampton. It lies at the extreme tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads in the United States....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to be retired from active service which was to have taken effect on December 31, 1937.
Retired Air Force Major General Eugene L. Eubank said in a 1982 interview that Odas Moon, a very close friend of his, "drank himself to death". Eubank said that he and "Odie" Moon had served in the Air Corps together from 1919 on the Mexico–U.S. border flights and had been devoted friends ever since. Eubank served as Moon's copilot in May 1929 for the New York aerial refueling demonstration.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, all of Moon's staff mates and commanders at ACTS went on to become influential general officers, as did all four officers on board the Question Mark and two of the officers flying with him in the tankers.
All the crew members of the Question Mark were given Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
es, but none of the tanker crews were so honored. Instead, Moon and the others received letters of commendation. On May 26, 1976, the two surviving tanker crewmembers—retired brigadier generals Ross G. Hoyt and Joseph G. Hopkins—were awarded the DFC for their exceptional contributions to air-to-air refueling by Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the...
General David C. Jones.