A Jim Dietz painting depicts some of the early days of military aviation. The painting is set to be displayed to the public soon at the Signal Corps Museum. Before there was an Air  Force or even an Army Air Corps, the Signal Corps was experimenting with aviation.

“In 1861, (Albert J.) MRC Myer used balloons,” said Robert Anzuoni, Signal Corps Museum director. Myer, the first Chief of Signal, first experimented with balloons at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. They were unsuccessfully used for aerial surveillance.

Later in the Spanish- American War, hot air balloons were used for communications; however, there was a problem with the method.

“The balloons were tethered,” said Anzuoni. “They enemy knew there were troops below.”

Dirigibles and early airplanes were the next flying machines the Signal Corps began to try.

“They held trials in 1908. The first was partially successful. The dirigible flew,” he said. “The airplane crashed.”

Orville Wright piloted the plane and was severely injured in the crash at Fort Myer, Va. The crash killed Lt. Thomas Selfridge, a Signal Corps officer, who had previously successfully flown a White Wing plane, developed by Alexander Graham Bell.

The Signal Corps Museum has photographs related to the crash on display next to a print of a very famous aviator.

Snoopy, the creation of Peanuts’ cartoonist Charles M Schulz, is dressed in his World War I aviator gear sitting upon his dog house, otherwise known as his Sopwith Camel fighter plane.

Snoopy is an honorary member of the Signal Corps because aviation was classified under the Signal Corps during World War I, said Anzuoni.

Some of the earliest ties between the Signal Corps and Augusta are related to aviation and date decades before the construction of Fort Gordon.

There was once a winter flying school in Augusta.

It was located on Sand Bar Ferry Road near the Savannah River; however, the school was relocated after the winter of 1911- 1912 one of the worst winters in Augusta history.

“There was a lot of snow and ice,” he said.

Anzuoni said that wasn’t the only circumstance which prompted the move to Texas.

“There were problems on the Mexican border,” he said.

Aviation remained under the Signal Corps until May 20, 1918, said Anzuoni.

2010 Signal Corps

Fact: During the Civil War, telegraphers from a civilian organization, known as U. S. Military Telegraph, provided battlefield communications alongside Signal Corps Soldiers. Due to a dispute between the Signal Corps and U. S. Military Telegraph over control of electric telegraphy, in 1863 Secretary of War Edwin Stanton removed Col. Albert Myer from his post as Chief of Signal.