 When swept shore, Orville and Wilbur Wright accomplished man's first powered flight in the late fall of 1903. This is the place where aviation was born. Kill Devil Hill in North Carolina, near Kitty Hawk, unnoticed, unwatched, and unattended by newsmen or photographers. This unbelievable feat was accomplished. The longest lasted 900 feet. But it heralded the greatest era of technological advance since the beginning of history. This is the story of how and why America has traveled the high road from Kitty Hawk to aerospace and what it means to you and every other human being, plus a world of descendants yet to be born. This was the beginning of man's successful conquest of the third dimension through aviation. A few years later, at Fort Meyer, Virginia, Orville Wright, accompanied by Army Lieutenant Ben Falloy, flew a record 10-mile course averaging 42 miles per hour and reaching 400 feet altitude. This is the Wright-Flyer Kitty Hawk model, or military aircraft number one. In the center, Lieutenant Falloy, one of the first officers assigned the mission, learned to fly. Today, military aircraft number one, rebuilt and restored, is on proud display at the Smithsonian Institution. Here today is Major General Benjamin D. Falloy retired. His faith, courage, foresight, and tenacity were key contributions to military aviation. He devised and used the first landing gear wheels, the first seat belt, and a catapult to launch his frail craft. He was also the first officer to fly a reconnaissance mission and the first to fly more than 100 miles nonstop. What we did at Fort Sam Houston might be called applied research and development. It is more like trial and error. We saw the need for improvement, planned, built, and tested until it worked. As I recall, there are four major milestones in the development of military aviation. First, the delivery of all number one planes. Second, proof of the requirement for reconnaissance and liaison aircraft. Third, the progress of European aviation in World War I spurred us to greater technological effort. And finally, the recovery after the virtual collapse of American aviation, which followed the end of that war. Renewed interest, new funding, and new technology led to designs like the B-17 and other aircraft later used in World War II. Thank you, General Falloy. In 1914, while development of military aircraft plotted along slowly, World War I engulfed Europe. There had no combat planes ready, Congress quickly appropriated funds, and our only real aircraft factory sprang into action with hand tools and more muscles than machines. Perhaps our greatest aeronautical contribution to World War I was the Liberty Engine. This American-made engine powered many Allied aircraft. American pilots served with distinction and honor, fighting first in Allied planes and with foreign air services. In May 1918, amid wild celebrations, the first American-built planes arrived in France. A British DH-4 designed with power Liberty Engine. That fall, Allied aircraft smashed supplies and communications behind the Academy lines on the US Argonne Front. Five weeks later, the armistice was signed. Johnny came marching home, and after speeches and grateful greetings, no boys returned to the farms, the shops, and the offices. But not the pilots who survived the great adventure of the wild blue yellow, with firm faith in the future importance of aviation. Using cast-off crates and obsolete equipment, many demonstrated their skills at state affairs, and to any large gathering they could find. In the era that followed, the airplane improved through individual initiative, achieving better design, materials, and construction to meet pioneer sporting needs, as well as practical military requirements. Public interest and support were stimulated by exploits such as this military flight all the way around the world in just 15 days. Lieutenant McReady and Sergeant Langham flew to a record high altitude flight with a turbo supercharger. They learned that the air temperature at 39,000 feet is 55 degrees below zero. Too cold for man to survive long without special equipment. With the help of air-to-air refueling, Major Spots Captain Eaker and Lieutenant Quasada kept their aircraft, but question mark aloft for more than 150 hours. Another dedicated pioneer, Lieutenant James Doolittle, proved that man could fly day or night, guided only by instruments. He took off, traveled 15 miles, returned to his starting point, and then landed safely without ever seeing the ground. Both military and civilian pilots competed in air races and cross-country flights for trophies, glory, money, or just to prove the superiority of their planes. Competitive tests gave evidence to countless improvements. Better aircraft designs, engines, instruments and controls, new fuels, and even retractable landing gear. The Powderpuff Derby was one of many contests to encourage women pilots to participate. Competent and courageous aviation took part, and some, like a media airheart, achieved greatness in aviation. While American factories were busy building the comforts and conveniences of better living, the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor shocked us in the World War II, a rude reminder by sudden death and destruction from air power that the price of safety is eternal vigilance. Swiftly, the vast productivity that symbolized America, our entire resources of government, military, industry, management, machines, money, and skilled manpower, were converted to war production. In record-breaking time, this team worked poured out the weapons of war, especially aircraft. Long before D-Day in Normandy, Allied aircraft defeated the Luftwaffe, struck decisive blows at the Unitions plants and communications supporting the Nazi war machine, sought out and destroyed sites of the German rockets, which rough havoc on England. When the Allied armada hit D-Day beaches, Allied planes by the thousands protected our ships and troops from air attack and bombed the enemy's defenses. Tactical air power protected General Patton's blanks as he swept across France. By the end of the conflict, air power became recognized as a decisive factor in war. America's outstanding aeronautical contribution culminated in the B-29 Superfortress, a four-engine bomber which hastened the end of the war. It could fly farther, faster, and deliver far more destruction and firepower than any other bomber in the sky. After the war, America quickly demobilized most of its air power, but the technological search for security went on. Our two great oceans were no longer bulwarks of defense that would buy time for us to get ready to defend our land. In 1945, we unveiled our first flying jet, the XP-59, forerunner of all American-made military and civilian jet aircraft today. Meanwhile, the mighty B-36 intercontinental bomber bolstered the strategic deterrent during the transition from propellers to jet bombers. In 1948, when Russia, with a show of force, closed all access roads to West Berlin, the newborn U.S. Air Force mobilized its cargo aircraft to meet the strangling threat. Our historic round-the-clock Berlin airlift delivered more than adequate supplies, so the Soviets called off the blockade. Once again in 1950, America was called upon to resist aggression. Communists tried to overrun South Korea. In concert with United Nations forces, we called a halt. Our skilled pilots and jet fighter bombers proved their combat superiority. As military research and development continued, we produced our century series of jet fighters. The F-100 was the first jet to break the sound barrier in level flight. Soon there were others even faster, more maneuverable, with greater firepower. In rapid succession, we developed the B-47 and B-52, which gave jet speed to our strategic deterrent forces. Jet-powered naval strike forces, some of them based on nuclear-powered supercarriers, were added to our two oceans. With jet strike aircraft firmly established in our inventory, the first jet tanker was developed by the Air Force to give our military planes practically unlimited range through aerial refueling. Today, that same aircraft design, with civil transport modifications, provides commercial jet passenger service. Our B-58, our first supersonic bomber, presented an entirely new concept in basic aircraft design. Flying at more than twice the speed of sound, it carried more potential destructive power than was dropped on Europe by all Allied aircraft during World War II. With advanced guidance systems, flight instrumentation and controls, we produced our first pilotless aircraft, complete with appropriate warheads to defend our skies or to reach and destroy strongly defended military targets. America flew the X-15, a rocket-powered manned research aircraft that today has entered the boundary of space beyond 50 miles high and traveling at speeds in excess of 4,000 miles per hour. While America observed in 1953 its golden anniversary of aviation, science and technology burst into a new power dimension, the thermonuclear age, which gave still greater meaning to air power, and set the stage for rapid aerospace development. In the aerospace world of the 60s is a gentleman we should meet. One of those rugged pioneers of aviation who had a leading role in America's air battles since World War I. Today he is a corporate executive and technical advisor on aerospace power. Lieutenant General James Doolittle, holder of the Medal of Honor. It has been my good fortune to be closely associated with aviation since World War I. In the past five decades, the airplane has become an important means of commercial transportation and a decisive weapon of war. The stick and wire aeroplanes of yesteryear were simple contraptions for control of a stick, a rudder, a throttle, and a few simple instruments. Then came the retractable landing gear, controllable pitch propellers, flaps, slots, and sophisticated instruments for the engines for flight control and for navigation. The old piston engine was replaced by the modern gas turbine. The increase in the number and complexity of aircraft, together with later safety and reliability requirements brought more rules and regulations and the necessity for widespread aids to navigation and instrument landing equipment. The airplane became faster, safer, and more reliable. Air transportation helped our economy and air power assured our national security. Thank you, General Doolittle. In addition to continuing aircraft development, an all-out program was started in 1954 to build an intercontinental ballistic missile, the birthplace of former schoolhouse in Englewood, California. In 1957, without advance notice, Russia launched the first Sputnik into space and won worldwide acclaim. This served to spur all America to even greater space effort. A few months later, the United States placed an Earth satellite in orbit. By 1959, the Air Force had produced and successfully launched three different types of long-range ballistic missiles, and the first Atlas squadrons were added to our arsenal of defense at strategic locations throughout America and in submarines under the seas. A deterrent force of more than 1,000 nuclear-armed ballistic missiles now stands ready for instant retaliation if required. This is in addition to the peacekeeping team of more than 1,000 sack bombers with their own nuclear weapons in a constant state of readiness to defend America. The Air Force C-141 jet carrier was developed with the cooperation of the Federal Aviation Agency. It can also be licensed and produced for commercial use. It carries 154 fully-equipped troops or 70,000 pounds of cargo for more than 6,000 miles at 500 miles per hour. The newest development in tactical aircraft is the flexible F-111. With its wings fully extended, it will be able to fly at slow speed and land on a short runway. But with its wings folded back, it will fly high and faster than twice the speed of sound. Co-operating research teams of government, industry, and science carried out our explorations of outer space and launched manned flights around the Earth. While NASA's Ranger 7 takes close-up television pictures of the lunar surface to detect appropriate landing sites for America's astronauts, plans are under way to place a manned Earth orbiting laboratory in space. Two astronauts are scheduled to be on board. In the near future, astronauts will rendezvous NASA's Gemini capsule with an Air Force Agena spacecraft for close-up tests of manned operations and new equipment in space. Forging military space power is a prime job of the Air Force Systems Command at Andrew's Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. Its mission to plan, evaluate, and implement technological programs designed to keep America secure from aerospace aggression for the foreseeable future. Let's meet the first commander of the Air Force Systems Command, who led our pioneering development toward aerospace. Bernard A. Schriever. Today and in the future, it is a proper management of technology and its critical resources that poses the pacing problem which we face. Recent Air Force studies of future scientific and technological developments in aerospace owe more challenge and greater opportunity than earlier generations dreamed of. We are not on a technological plateau. This dynamic and real progress must be constantly pursued. We must be selective, but we must press on with new advances in technology to ensure security for the future. And in the global scene, we must continue to maintain a strong national posture. We must improve our strategic deterrent forces, both in missiles and manned aircraft. We must be capable of providing our president with alternative choices, which is vital for controlled response to aggression. In other words, our nation's total military strategy demands that a successful deterrent to war must be a ready force in being survivable and effective at all levels of conflict. This includes the defense of our access to the new space environment. We must strive to be first in technological accomplishment if America is to continue its growth in security, maturity and peace. That is why and how we have come from Kitty Hawk to aerospace.