In 1918, at a critical juncture in World War I, Mason Patrick was selected to command the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force. In this assessment of his career, White credits Patrick, rather than his more vocal second-in-command Billy Mitchell, with ensuring the survival of the Air Service at a time when it faced critical internal and external pressures. He explores how, while Mitchell played the role of the attention-grabbing publicist, Patrick skilfully functioned as the true leader of the Air Service, expertly manoeuvring behind the scenes and in selected public forums to ultimately ensure the creation of the Air Corps. Patrick took a gradualist approach to the question of the Air Service's status, seeing autonomy within the US Army as an attainable goal that would serve as a stepping-stone to full independence later.