Mitchell, Billy (1879-1936), a United States Army general, was one of the most controversial figures in American military history. An early and vigorous advocate of airpower, he was court-martialed for defiance of his superiors in 1925. He resigned from the Army rather than accept a five-year suspension. He was branded at first as an extremist and insurgent. But early in World War II (1939-1945), events confirmed many of Mitchell's predictions. In 1946, the United States Congress authorized the Medal of Honor for Mitchell.