Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A History of the United States Air Force, Volume I: 1907-1950; Volume II: 1950-1997

Washington, DC: United States Air Force, Air Force History and Museums Program, 1997. Presumed First Edition, First printing thus. Hardcover. very good. 25 cm, x, 513, [1] & x, 659, [3] pages. 2-vol. set in slipcase. Illustrations. Notes. Selected readings. Authors. Index. In his professional career Bernard Nalty was well known for his historical research and non-fiction publications on the military, particularly his writing on black Americans in the military. Along with Morris J. MacGregor, Jr. he edited the thirteen-volume Blacks in the United States Armed Forces and he wrote, and in 1986 published, Strength for the Fight: A History of Black Americans in the Military. Mr. Nalty believed the history of black Americans in the United States military was not adequately researched or shared with the general public, and his passion was to correct that oversight. Prior to retiring in 1994, Mr. Nalty was a senior historian in the Office of Air Force History and edited Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A History of the USAF. Describes and analyzes the evolution of land-based air power since the United States Army in 1907 established an Aeronautical Division. Provides an understanding of the central role of the Air Force in current American defense policy. The United States Air Force became a separate military service on 18 September 1947 with the implementation of the National Security Act of 1947. Prior to 1947, the responsibility for military aviation was divided between the Army (for land-based operations) and the Navy, and Marine Corps, for sea-based operations from aircraft carrier and amphibious aircraft. The Army created the first antecedent of the Air Force on 1 August 1907, which through a succession of changes of organization, titles, and missions advanced toward eventual separation 40 years later. The predecessor organizations leading up to today's U.S. Air Force are: Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps (1 August 1907 - 18 July 1914); Aviation Section, Signal Corps (18 July 1914 - 20 May 1918; Division of Military Aeronautics (20 May 1918 - 24 May 1918); Air Service, U.S. Army (24 May 1918 - 2 July 1926); and U.S. Army Air Corps (2 July 1926 - 20 June 1941); U.S. Army Air Forces (20 June 1941 - 17 September 1947).