General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold Aviation Award

Joseph E. Renier, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold Aviation Award, n.d., bronze, 1 ¹⁄₂ in. (3.9 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Renier, 1967.93.50

Artwork Details

Title: General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold Aviation Award
Artist: Joseph E. Renier
Founder: Medallic Art Company
Date: n.d.
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 1 ¹⁄₂ in. (3.9 cm) diam.
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Joseph Renier
Mediums: bronze
Mediums Description: bronze
Classifications: Sculpture
Medal
Subjects: Dress — uniform — military uniform
Occupation — military — general
Portrait male — Arnold, Henry H. — bust
Emblem — military insignia
Object Number: 1967.93.50
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1967.93.50

Artwork Description

The General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold Aviation Award Medal is one of nearly a dozen military honors commemorating Arnold’s service to the country’s air forces. Arnold was a pilot in the First World War who later became chief of the Army Air Forces, and is best remembered for establishing the corps of Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) in the 1940s. Recipients of this medal, which was created by Joseph Renier, include Clarence Kelly Johnson, who designed a number of innovative aircraft, and Senator Barry Goldwater, who served as a pilot in World War II, flying a route over the Himalayas that came to be known as the “China Hump.”