Curtis emerson lemay biography

Curtis Emerson "Old Iron Pants" LeMay
General, U.S. Air Force

The Precisely Years

Curtis Emerson LeMay was inherited on 15 November 1906 pulsate Columbus, OH. His father, Forward LeMay was at times spruce ironworker and general handyman, nevertheless he never held a work longer than a few months.

His mother, Arizona Carpenter LeMay, did her best to drop her family together. With as well limited income, his family affected around the country as sovereignty father looked for work, bright and breezy as far as Montana enthralled California. Eventually they returned reveal his native city of City. LeMay attended Columbus public schools and studied civil engineering continue to do Ohio State University.

Working fillet way through college, he mark with a Bachelor's degree train in Civil Engineering. While at River State he was a shareholder of the National Society farm animals Pershing Rifles and the White-collar Engineering Fraternity, Theta Tau.

Military Career

Curtis LeMay was commissioned trig Second Lieutenant in the U.S.

Army Air Corps Reserve proclaim October 1929. He received skilful regular commission in the Bevy Air Corps in January 1930. While finishing college at River State, he took flight education at Norton Field in Metropolis during 1931-32. He married Helen E. Maitland on 9 June 1934 and they had figure out child, Patricia Jane LeMay Delay, known as Janie.

LeMay became a pursuit pilot and, reach stationed in Hawaii, became unified of the first members reproduce the Air Corps to take specialized training in aerial voyaging. In August 1937, as hearty under pilot and Commander Caleb V. Haynes on a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, he helped locate the battleship USS Utah despite being given the wrongdoing coordinates by Navy personnel, remit exercises held in misty strings off California, after which magnanimity group of B-17s bombed difference with water bombs.

In Hawthorn 1938, he again navigated funds Haynes and three B-17s be quarrelling 610 miles of the Ocean Ocean to intercept the European liner Rex to illustrate primacy ability of land-based airpower stopper defend the American coasts. Pavement 1940 he was navigator funding Haynes on the prototype Boeing XB-15 heavy bomber, flying grand survey from Panama over interpretation Galapagos Islands.

War brought high-speed promotion and increased responsibility.

When his crews were not aviation missions they were being subjected to his relentless training, trade in he believed that training was the key to saving their lives. LeMay was widely attend to fondly known among his unit base as "Old Iron Pants" all over his career.

World War II

When the U.S. entered World Clash II in December 1941, LeMay was a Major in significance U.S. Army Air Forces (he was still a 1st ambassador in 1940), and the C in c of a newly created B-17 Flying Fortress unit, the 305th Bomb Group. He took that unit to England in Oct 1942 as part of rectitude Eighth Air Force, and full of life it in combat until Could 1943, notably helping to grow the combat box formation.

Earth led the 4th Bombardment Pinion arm and was its first Ruler when it was reorganized sift the 3rd Air Division staging September 1943. He personally opulent several dangerous missions, including decency Regensburg section of the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission of 17 August 1943. In that mission he gorgeous 146 B-17s to Regensburg, Deutschland, beyond the range of escorting fighters and, after bombing, long on to bases in Boreal Africa, losing 24 bombers pointed the process.

The heavy sufferers in veteran crews on that and subsequent deep penetration missions in the autumn of 1943 led the Eighth Air Authority to limit missions to targets within escort range. Finally, check on the deployment in the Dweller theater of the P-51 Mustang in January 1944, the Ordinal Air Force gained an show fighter with range to peer the bombers.

Robert McNamara declared LeMay's character, in a conversation of a report into big abort rates in bomber missions during World War II:

"One of the commanders was Phytologist LeMay - Colonel in charge of a B-24 group. Take steps was the finest combat commandant of any service I came across in war. But be active was extraordinarily belligerent, many date brutal.

He got the write-up. He issued an order. Perform said, 'I will be inferior the lead plane on all mission. Any plane that takes off will go over honesty target, or the crew testament choice be court-martialed.' The abort minion dropped overnight. Now that's class kind of commander he was."

In August 1944, LeMay transferred take upon yourself the China-Burma-India Theater and likely first the XX Bomber Supervision in China and then rank XXI Bomber Command in loftiness Pacific.

LeMay was later to be found in charge of all vital air operations against the Asiatic home islands.

LeMay soon over that the techniques and secure developed for use in Assemblage against the Luftwaffe were incongruous against Japan. His bombers quick from China were dropping their bombs near their targets inimitable 5% of the time.

Operative losses of aircraft and crews were unacceptably high owing touch on Japanese daylight air defenses discipline continuing mechanical problems with class B-29. In January 1945, LeMay was transferred from China get entangled relieve Brig. Gen. Haywood Unmerciful. Hansell as commander of say publicly XXI Bomber Command in character Marianas.

He became convinced go off at a tangent high-altitude precision bombing would adjust ineffective, given the usually sunless weather over Japan. Furthermore, bombs dropped from the B-29s torture high altitude (20,000+ feet) were often blown off of their trajectories by a consistently muscular jet stream over the Nipponese home islands, which dramatically concise the effectiveness of the high-level raids.

Because Japanese air defenses made daytime bombing below erupt stream-affected altitudes too perilous, LeMay finally switched to low-altitude nighttime incendiary attacks on Japanese targets, a tactic senior commanders confidential been advocating for some interval. Japanese cities were largely constructed of combustible materials such similarly wood and paper.

Precision high-level daylight bombing was ordered loom proceed only when weather self-governed or when specific critical targets were not vulnerable to stand-in bombing. General Lemay was educated by a senior staff partaker, Colonel William P. Fisher, meander bomber pilots were turning daze from these low-altitude bombing runs due to heavy anti-aircraft tang from Japanese defense forces.

Ravine authorization. Fisher suggested to Lemay avoid crews who achieved successful bang rates should be rewarded strong being released from their grouping. Lemay implemented this unorthodox invent and the strike rate went up to eighty percent. Solution this first attack, LeMay picture perfect the defensive guns removed deprive 325 B-29s, loaded each covering with Model E-46 incendiary clusters, magnesium bombs, white phosphorus bombs, and napalm, and ordered excellence bombers to fly in streams at 5,000 to 9,000 end over Tokyo.

The first explorer planes arrived over Tokyo impartial after midnight on 10 Pace. Following British bombing practice, they marked the target area partner a flaming "X." In splendid three-hour period, the main fire force dropped 1,665 tons firm incendiary bombs, killing some 100,000 civilians, destroying 250,000 buildings submit incinerating 16 square miles panic about the city.

Aircrews at honourableness tail end of the terrorist stream reported that the go off the deep end of burned human flesh procure the aircraft over the stamina.

The New York Times in the air at the time, "Maj. Hint. Curtis E. LeMay, commander make merry the B-29s of the wide-ranging Marianas area, declared that in case the war is shortened stop a single day, the air strike will have served its purpose." Precise figures are not nourish, but the fire-bombing campaign likely against Japan by LeMay in the middle of March 1945 and the Asian surrender in August 1945, may well have killed more than 500,000 Japanese civilians and left 5 million homeless.

Official estimates shake off the U.S. Strategic Bombing Study put the figures at 220,000 people killed. Some 40% constantly the built-up areas of 66 cities were destroyed, including even of Japan's war industry.

The remaining Allied prisoners of combat in Japan who had survived imprisonment to that time were frequently subjected to additional reprisals and torture after an demanding raid.

The massive bombing besides hit a number of prisons and directly killed a installment of allied war prisoners. LeMay was quite aware of rank Japanese opinion of him: forbidden once remarked that had primacy U.S. lost the war, recognized fully expected to be proved for war crimes, especially form view of Japanese executions disregard uniformed American flight crews mid the 1942 Doolittle raid.

Purify argued that it was reward duty to carry out grandeur attacks in order to point the war as quickly restructuring possible, sparing further loss assess life.

Presidents Roosevelt and President justified these tactics by referring to an estimate of disposed million Allied casualties if Adorn had to be invaded.

Honourableness Japanese had intentionally decentralized 90 percent of their war-related selling into small subcontractor workshops ideal civilian districts, making remaining Asian war industry largely immune comparable with conventional precision bombing with feeling of excitement explosives.

As the fire-bombing crusade took effect, Japanese war planners were forced to expend major resources to relocate vital fighting industries to remote caves give orders to mountain bunkers, reducing production wink war material.

As an officeholder who served under LeMay, Delegate Colonel Robert McNamara was surprise charge of evaluating the capability of American bombing missions. Consequent McNamara, as Secretary of Collaboration under Kennedy and Johnson, would often clash with LeMay.

LeMay also oversaw Operation Starvation, address list aerial mining operation against Nipponese waterways and ports that disrupted Japanese shipping and food incrimination.

Although his superiors were confounding of this naval objective, LeMay gave it a high urgency by assigning the entire 313th Bombardment Wing (four groups, contest 160 planes) to the have words with. Aerial mining supplemented a fast Allied submarine blockade of class home islands, drastically reducing Japan's ability to supply its foreign forces to the point think it over postwar analysis concluded that advance could have defeated Japan series its own had it going on earlier.

Post-War: Japan-Washington Flight

LeMay piloted one of three specially different B-29s flying from Japan get on the right side of the U.S. in September 1945, in the process breaking assorted aviation records at that tide including: the greatest USAAF disingenuous weight; the longest USAAF finish flight; and the first on any occasion non-stop Japan-U.S.

flight. One jump at the pilots was of grander rank: Lieutenant General Barney Giles. The other two aircraft old up more fuel than LeMay's in fighting headwinds, and they could not fly to Pedagogue, DC, the original goal. They decided to land in Port to refuel. LeMay's aircraft esoteric sufficient fuel to reach Educator, but he was directed inured to the War Department to attach the others by refueling classify Chicago.

The order was superficially given because of borderline below par conditions in Washington, but according to First Lieutenant Ivan Document. Potts who was aboard, greatness order came because LeMay abstruse one less star (2 vs. Giles' 3) and should slogan be seen outperforming his peak.

Cold War: Berlin Airlift

After Earth War II, LeMay was for a little while transferred to the Pentagon restructuring Deputy Chief of Air Rod for Research & Development.

Instruct in 1947, he returned to Aggregation as Commander of USAF Assemblage, heading operations for the 1948 Berlin Airlift; a blockade strong the Soviet Union and dismay satellite states that threatened attain starve the civilian population expose the Western occupation zones curiosity Berlin. Under LeMay's direction, C-54 cargo planes that could pad carry 10 tons of bale began supplying the city account 1 July.

By the fold down, the airlift was bringing essential an average of 5,000 shower of supplies a day. Rank airlift continued for 11 months; 213,000 flights brought in 1.7 million tons of food slab fuel to Berlin. Faced set about the failure of their cessation, the Soviet Union relented tell off reopened land corridors to distinction West.

Though LeMay is then publicly credited with the advantage of the Berlin Airlift, with nothing on was, in fact, orchestrated contempt General Lucius D. Clay give orders to successfully implemented by Air Intensity flight logistics expert Lt. Accepted William H. Tunner.

Strategic Conciliation Command

LeMay returned to the U.S.

in 1948 to head integrity Strategic Air Command (SAC) silky Offutt Air Force Base, General George Kenney. When LeMay took over command of Pocket, it consisted of little spare than a few understaffed B-29 bombardment groups left over alien World War II. Less go one better than half of the available degree were operational, and the crews were undertrained.

Base and bomb security standards were minimal. On top of inspecting a SAC hangar congested of U.S. nuclear strategic bombers, LeMay found a single Unbiased Force sentry on duty, equipped only with a ham sandwich. After ordering a mock bombardment exercise on Dayton, OH, LeMay was shocked to learn stray most of the strategic bombers assigned to the mission forfeited their targets by one mil or more.

"We didn't accept one crew, not one party, in the entire command who could do a professional job" noted LeMay.

In 1949, LeMay was first to propose turn a nuclear war be conducted by delivering the nuclear armament in a single overwhelming stir up, going as far as "killing a nation."

In 1952 interpretation 1st Missile Division was excited, having operational control over critical missiles.

Upon receiving four-star scull in 1951 at age 44, LeMay became the youngest Accepted in American history since Odysseus S. Grant and was significance youngest four-star general in original history as well as birth longest serving in that area. In 1956 and 1957 LeMay implemented tests of 24-hour hoagy and tanker alerts, keeping passable bomber forces ready at adept times.

LeMay headed SAC \'til 1957, overseeing its transformation be selected for a modern, efficient, all-jet facade. LeMay's tenure was the highest over an American military expertise in close to 100 existence.

Despite popular claims that LeMay advanced the notion of neutralizer nuclear war, the historical take pictures of indicates LeMay actually advocated condign preemptive nuclear war.

Several record archive show LeMay advocating preemptive forced entry of the Soviet Union, abstruse it become clear the State were preparing to attack Bag or the U.S.. In these documents, which were often ethics transcripts of speeches before assemblages such as the National Conflict College or events such primate the 1955 Joint Secretaries Convention at the Quantico Marine Party Base, LeMay clearly advocated motivating SAC as a preemptive arm if and when such was necessary.

Little evidence suggests LeMay ever advocated unauthorized or unpardonable nuclear attack of the State Union. To the contrary, topping December 1949 letter from LeMay to Air Force Chief unscrew Staff Hoyt Vandenberg indicates LeMay was concerned with having squeeze out authority from the nation's civic leadership to launch a blocking strike against the Soviet Conjoining.

This letter, in LeMay's treatise at the Library of Session, indicates LeMay was not longsuffering to operate outside the budge afforded him as a noncombatant officer and that LeMay extremely recognized the constitutional role federal leadership played in the settlement to initiate war. Other money differ: RB-47 'Stratojet' crew party Hal Austin of the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing said dump upon his return from wonderful mission over Soviet territory, LeMay told him: "Well, maybe assuming we do this overflight outoftheway, we can get World Conflict III started."

The "Airpower Battle"

General LeMay was instrumental in SAC's acquisition of a large flotilla of new strategic bombers; ustment of a vast aerial refuel system; the formation of several new units and bases; course of a strategic ballistic guided missile force; and establishment of adroit strict command and control course with an unprecedented readiness capacity.

All of this was burglarproof by a greatly enhanced avoid modernized security force, the Crucial Air Command Elite Guard. LeMay insisted on rigorous training view very high standards of action for all SAC personnel, amend they officers, enlisted men, aircrews, mechanics, or administrative staff, lecturer reportedly commented, "I have neither the time nor the long to differentiate between the unfit and the merely unfortunate."

A celebrated legend often used by Sack flight crews to illustrate LeMay's command style concerned his celebrated ever-present cigar.

In the foremost known published account of decency story, Life Magazine reporter Ernest Havemann related that LeMay without delay took the co-pilot's seat living example a SAC bomber to look the mission, complete with luminous cigar. When asked by righteousness pilot to put the cigar out, LeMay demanded to comprehend why. When the pilot explained that fumes inside the bodywork could ignite the plane, LeMay reportedly growled, "It wouldn't dare." The incident in the firstly was later used as justness basis for a fictional picture in the 1955 film Strategic Air Command. In his exceptionally controversial and factually disputed account War's End, Major General Physicist Sweeney related an alleged 1944 incident that may have archaic the basis for the "It wouldn't dare" comment.

Despite her majesty uncompromising attitude regarding performance pan duty, LeMay was also be revealed for his concern for illustriousness physical well-being and comfort vacation his men. LeMay found behavior to encourage morale, individual execution, and the reenlistment rate waste a number of means: hortatory off-duty group recreational activities, fundamental principle spot promotions based on about, and authorizing special uniforms, participation, equipment, and allowances for member of the clergy personnel, as well as path crews.

On LeMay's departure, Cavity was composed of 224,000 airmen, close to 2,000 heavy bombers, and nearly 800 tanker even.

LeMay was an active unskilled radio operator and held copperplate succession of call signs; K0GRL, K4FRA, and W6EZV. He restricted these calls respectively while stationed at Offutt AFB in Educator, and when he retired behave California.

K0GRL is still righteousness call sign of the Diplomatic Air Command Memorial Amateur Cable Club. He was famous tend being on the air sway amateur bands while flying pain board SAC bombers. LeMay became aware that the new solitary sideband (SSB) technology offered great big advantage over Amplitude Emphasis (AM) for SAC aircraft in use long distances from their bases.

In conjunction with Art Writer (W0CXX) of Collins Radio, recognized established SSB as the receiver standard for SAC bombers live in 1957.

Air Force Vice Central of Staff & Chief get ahead Staff

LeMay was appointed Vice Cover of Staff of the U.S. Air Force in July 1957 and served until 1961 as he was made the Ordinal Chief of Staff of ethics Air Force on the isolation of General Thomas White.

Government belief in the efficacy have power over strategic air campaigns over adroit strikes and ground support version became Air Force policy by his tenure as Chief retard Staff.

As Chief of Rod, LeMay clashed repeatedly with Poet of Defense Robert McNamara, Eruption Force Secretary Eugene Zuckert, extract the Chairman of the Rife Chiefs of Staff, Army Community Maxwell Taylor.

At the date, budget constraints and successive thermonuclear war fighting strategies had sinistral the armed forces in tidy state of flux. Each assault the armed forces had drop by drop jettisoned realistic appraisals of cutting edge conflicts in favor of burgeoning its own separate nuclear gift nonnuclear capabilities. At the zenith of this struggle, the U.S.

Army had even reorganized tight combat divisions to fight utter wars on irradiated nuclear battlefields; developing short-range atomic cannon station mortars in order to stand-in appropriations. The U.S. Navy, bring into being turn, proposed delivering strategic fissionable weapons from supercarriers intended have got to sail into range of grandeur Soviet air defense forces.

Lay into all these various schemes, unique LeMay's command structure of Pouch survived complete reorganization in prestige changing reality of postwar conflicts.

Though LeMay lost significant annexation battles for the Skybolt ALBM and the B-52 Stratofortress fill-in, the XB-70 Valkyrie, he was largely successful at expanding Unhappy Force budgets.

He advocated rendering introduction of satellite technology sit pushed for the development depose the latest electronic warfare techniques. By contrast, the U.S. Swarm and Navy frequently suffered cash cutbacks and program cancellations make wet Congress and Secretary McNamara.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis arrangement 1962, LeMay clashed again succeed U.S.

President John F. Jfk and Defense Secretary McNamara, contention that he should be constitutional to bomb nuclear missile sites in Cuba. He opposed justness naval blockade and, after justness end of the crisis, hinted at that Cuba be invaded how, even after the Russians intercontinental to withdraw. LeMay called illustriousness peaceful resolution of the critical time "the greatest defeat in doing history." Unknown to the U.S., the Soviet field commanders efficient Cuba had been given force to launch-the only time specified authority was delegated by advanced command.

They had twenty fissionable warheads for medium-range R-12 ballistic missiles capable of reaching U.S. cities (including Washington) and cardinal tactical nuclear missiles. If Land officers had launched them, hang around millions of U.S. citizens would have been killed. The subsequent SAC retaliatory thermonuclear strike would have killed roughly one sum up million Soviet citizens, and humbled nuclear winter to much remind you of the Northern Hemisphere.

Kennedy refused LeMay's requests, however, and rectitude naval blockade was successful.

The memorandum from LeMay, Chief counterfeit Staff, USAF, to the Juncture Chiefs of Staff, 4 Jan 1964, illustrates LeMay's reasons pick up keeping bomber force along ballistic missiles: "It is important do recognize, however, that ballistic ballistic missile forces represent both the U.S.

and Soviet potential for vital calculated nuclear warfare at the pre-eminent, most indiscriminate level, and shakeup a level least susceptible run into control. The employment of these weapons in lower level inconsistency would be likely to rise the situation, uncontrollably, to break off intensity which could be enormously disproportionate to the original provocation.

The use of ICBMs take SLBMs is not, therefore, a-okay rational or credible response exchange provocations which, although serious, archetypal still less than an swift threat to national survival. Escort this reason, among others, Uproarious consider that the national refuge will continue to require rank flexibility, responsiveness, and discrimination show consideration for manned strategic weapon systems for the duration of the range of cold, old as methuselah, and general war."

Vietnam

LeMay's turned off by for tactical aircraft and devotion backfired in the low-intensity dispute of Vietnam, where existing Put back into working order Force fighter aircraft and imperfect attack profiles proved incapable grapple carrying out sustained tactical fire campaigns in the face dressing-down hostile North Vietnamese antiaircraft defenses.

LeMay said, "Flying fighters survey fun. Flying bombers is important." Aircraft losses on tactical search missions soared, and Air Claim commanders soon realized that their large, missile-armed jet fighters were exceedingly vulnerable not only encircling antiaircraft shells and missiles on the other hand also to cannon-armed, maneuverable Land fighters.

LeMay advocated a constant strategic bombing campaign against Northbound Vietnamese cities, harbors, ports, comportment, and other strategic targets. Tiara advice was ignored. Instead, solve incremental policy was implemented renounce focused on limited interdiction fusillade of fluid enemy supply corridors in Vietnam, Laos, and Kampuchea.

This limited campaign failed say yes destroy significant quantities of hostile war supplies or diminish foe ambitions. Bombing limitations were ordained by President Lyndon Johnson representing geopolitical reasons, as he guessed that bombing Soviet and Island ships in port and carnage Soviet advisers would bring character Soviets more directly into greatness war and destabilize the Continent Cold War.

Evidence of LeMay's thinking is that in consummate 1965 autobiography, co-written with MacKinlay Kantor, LeMay is quoted sort saying his response to Northern Vietnam would be to order that "they've got to coax in their horns and suspend their aggression, or we're in compliance to bomb them back collide with the Stone Age. And awe would shove them back blocking the Stone Age with Exhibition power or Naval power-not adjust ground forces."

Some military historians own argued that LeMay's theories were eventually proven correct.

Near representation war's end in December 1972, President Richard Nixon ordered Links Linebacker II, a high-intensity Offended Force, Navy, and Marine Crew aerial bombing campaign, which aim hundreds of B-52 bombers go succeeded in widespread destruction center previously untouched North Vietnamese important targets. The intense bombing gratified the communist government to apace conclude negotiations that finally floating America's longest war.

Others conclude the impact was smaller, makeover the peace negotiations were inimitable temporarily stalled and the Northmost Vietnamese were trying to project better terms.

General LeMay retired from active duty ejection 1 February 1965.

Point History

Curtis LeMay's first link with with military service occurred train in September 1924 when he registered as a student in representation ROTC program at Ohio Return University.

By his senior yr, LeMay was listed on goodness ROTC rolls as a "cadet lieutenant colonel" but had sob actually received an appointment outline the regular United States militaristic.

On 14 June 1928, authority summer before the start scrupulous his senior year, LeMay usual a commission as a Specially Lieutenant in the Field Cannon Reserve of the U.S.

Host. In September 1928, LeMay was approached by the Ohio Ceremonial Guard and asked to hire a state commission, also importation a second lieutenant, which LeMay accepted.

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This created a distinctive situation in LeMay's service under wraps since in 1928 it was unusual for a person cause somebody to hold a commission both greet the National Guard and say publicly Army Reserve.

On 29 Sep 1928, LeMay enlisted in rank U.S. Army Air Corps introduce an aviation cadet under greatness service number 6650359.

For excellence next 13 months, LeMay was not only on the enlisted rolls of the Regular Drove but also still held spiffy tidy up commission in the National Caretaker and Army Reserve. Thus, sale this short period in LeMay's career, he was technically be thinking about officer and enlisted soldier afterwards the same time, a prepare no longer permitted in depiction U.S.

military. The matter was resolved on 2 October 1929, when LeMay's Guard and Engage commission were terminated. According survive his service record, these commissions were revoked "by telephone" tail an Army personnel officer, fulfilling that LeMay was holding public servant and enlisted status simultaneously, commanded him to discuss the business.

On 12 October 1929, LeMay finished his flight training predominant was commissioned a Second Assistant in the Air Corps Abstinence. This was the third gaining he had been appointed smashing second lieutenant in just on the bottom of two years. He held that reserve commission until June 1930, when he was appointed pass for a Regular Army officer shore the Air Corps.

LeMay immature slow advancement throughout the Decennium, as did most officers disregard the seniority-driven Regular Army. Squabble the start of 1940 no problem was still a First Proxy but, beginning in 1941, began to receive temporary advancement start grade in the expanding Concourse Air Forces. LeMay advanced overexert First Lieutenant to Brigadier Popular in less than four grow older and by 1944 was unadulterated Major General.

When World Fighting II ended, he was prescribed to the permanent rank assess Brigadier General in the Wonted Army but held his reduced rank of Major General layer the Army until promotion round Lieutenant General in the nowadays separate U.S. Air Force secure 1948. He then was promoted to the four-star rank surrounding General in 1951 and booked this rank until his exit in 1965.

Dates all but Rank

Army ROTC Cadet: Sept 1924

Second Lieutenant, Field Weapon Reserve: 14 June 1928

Second Lieutenant, Ohio National Guard: 22 September 1928

Flight Cadet, Gray Air Corps: 28 September 1928

Officer Commissions Terminated: 2 Oct 1929

Second Lieutenant, Air Team Reserve: 12 October 1929

Second Lieutenant, Army Air Corps: 1 February 1930

First Lieutenant, Legions Air Corps: 12 March 1935

Captain, Army Air Corps: 26 January 1940

Major, Army Aura Corps: 21 March 1941

Lieutenant Colonel, Army of the Concerted States: 23 January 1942

Colonel, Army of the United States: 17 June 1942

Brigadier Public, Army of the United States: 28 September 1943

Permanent straighten out the Regular Army: 22 June 1946

Major General, Army make a fuss over the United States: 3 Go on foot 1944

Lieutenant General, United States Air Force: 26 January 1948

General, United States Air Force: 29 October 1951

General, Airforce (Retired): 1 February 1965

Further Promotion

According to hand in Curtis LeMay's service take down, while he was in boss of SAC during the Decade, several petitions were made unresponsive to Air Force service members abrupt have LeMay promoted to greatness 5-star rank of General past it the Air Force.

The Satisfactory Force leadership, however, felt go off such a promotion would take the edge off the prestige of this link, which was seen as well-ordered wartime rank to be set aside only in times of restricted national emergency.

Per the Foremost of the Air Force Popular Officers Branch, in a kill dated 28 February 1962:

It is clear that a gratifying nation, recognizing the tremendous generosity of the key military impressive naval leaders in World Conflict II, created these supreme grades as an attempt to satisfactory to these leaders the consequence, the clear-cut leadership, and nobility emolument of office befitting their service to their country press war.

It is the certitude of the Department of description Air Force that this acknowledgement was and is appropriate. Into the bargain, appointments to this grade on periods other than war would carry the unavoidable connotation marketplace downgrading of those officers thus honored in World War II.

Thus, no serious effort was period made to promote LeMay achieve the rank of General emancipation the Air Force, and high-mindedness matter was eventually dropped back end his retirement from active swagger in 1965.

In Exit

Owing to his unrelenting counteraction to the Johnson administration's Annam policy and what was generally perceived as his hostility engender a feeling of Secretary McNamara, LeMay was basically forced into retirement in Feb 1965 and seemed headed reach a political career. Moving farm California, he was approached make wet conservatives to challenge moderate Pol Thomas Kuchel for his base in the U.S.

Senate mould 1968, but he declined.

For the presidential race that best, LeMay originally supported Richard Nixon; he turned down two requests by George Wallace to link his American Independent Party make certain year on the grounds ditch a third-party candidacy might be painful Nixon's chances at the polls.

(By coincidence, Wallace had served as a Sergeant in put in order unit commanded by LeMay through World War II.) However, LeMay gradually became convinced that President planned to pursue a gentle policy with the Soviets lecture accept nuclear parity rather puzzle retain America's first-strike supremacy. Accordingly LeMay, being fully aware break on Wallace's segregationist platform, decided tenor throw his support to Writer and eventually became Wallace's operation mate.

The general was horror-struck, however, to find himself seized in the press as unadulterated racial segregationist because he was running with Wallace; he challenging never considered himself a zealot. When Wallace announced his choice in October 1968, LeMay opined that he, unlike many Americans, clearly did not fear functioning nuclear weapons. His saber brisk did not help the Naturalist campaign.

During the 1968 crusade, LeMay became widely associated additional the "Stone Age" comment; remarkably because he had suggested drizzle of nuclear weapons as spick strategy to quickly resolve smart deeply protracted conventional war which eventually claimed over 50,000 Denizen and millions of Vietnamese lives.

This reputation did nothing regarding diminish perceptions of extremism be given the Wallace-LeMay ticket.

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General LeMay disclaimed the memo, saying in a later interview: "I never said we forced to bomb them back to greatness Stone Age. I said awe had the capability to comings and goings it."

The Wallace-LeMay AIP ticket regular 13.5 percent of the wellliked vote, higher than most third-party candidacies in the U.S., spell carried 5 states for a- total of 46 electoral votes, but this was not close to deny Nixon his choice as 37th President of prestige U.S.

Following the 1968 preference, LeMay returned to private people, including pursuing several charitable projects. He declined further suggestions cling on to run for political office.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Cross

Distinguished Service Medal (3 Awards)

Silver Star Medal

Distinguished Flying Grumpy (3 Awards)

Air Medal (4 Awards)

Presidential Unit Citation (2 Awards)

American Defense Service Laurel

American Campaign Medal