LeMay, Curtis E. (Curtis Emerson), 1906-1990

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person

Name Entries *

LeMay, Curtis E. (Curtis Emerson), 1906-1990

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

LeMay

Forename :

Curtis E.

NameExpansion :

Curtis Emerson

Date :

1906-1990

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Latn

authorizedForm

rda

LeMay, Curtis Emerson, 1906-1990

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

LeMay

Forename :

Curtis Emerson

Date :

1906-1990

eng

Latn

alternativeForm

rda

LeMay, Curtis, 1906-1990

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

LeMay

Forename :

Curtis

Date :

1906-1990

eng

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alternativeForm

rda

May, Curtis E. Le, 1906-1990

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Name Components

Surname :

May

Forename :

Curtis E. Le

Date :

1906-1990

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ルメイ, カーチス・E, 1906-1990

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Name Components

Surname :

ルメイ

Forename :

カーチス・E

Date :

1906-1990

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alternativeForm

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LeMay, C. E. , 1906-1990

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

LeMay

Forename :

C. E.

Date :

1906-1990

eng

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alternativeForm

rda

Genders

Male

Exist Dates

Exist Dates - Date Range

1906-11-15

November 15, 1906

Birth

1990-10-01

October 1, 1990

Death

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Biographical History

Curtis Emerson LeMay (November 15, 1906 – October 1, 1990) was an American Air Force general who implemented an effective but controversial strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific theater of World War II. He later served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force from 1961 to 1965.

LeMay joined the U.S. Army Air Corps, the precursor to the U.S. Air Force, in 1929 while studying civil engineering at Ohio State University. He had risen to the rank of major by the time of Japan's Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and the United States's subsequent entry into World War II. He commanded the 305th Operations Group from October 1942 until September 1943, and the 3rd Air Division in the European theatre of World War II until August 1944, when he was transferred to the China Burma India Theater. He was then placed in command of strategic bombing operations against Japan, planning and executing a massive fire bombing campaign against Japanese cities and Operation Starvation, a crippling minelaying campaign in Japan's internal waterways.

After the war, he was assigned to command USAF Europe and coordinated the Berlin airlift. He served as commander of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) from 1948 to 1957, where he presided over the transition to an all-jet aircraft force that focused on the deployment of nuclear weapons. As Chief of Staff of the Air Force, he called for the bombing of Cuban missile sites during the Cuban Missile Crisis and sought a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

After retiring from the Air Force in 1965, LeMay agreed to serve as pro-segregation Democratic Governor George Wallace's running mate in the 1968 United States presidential election. The ticket won 13.5% of the popular vote, a strong tally for a third party campaign, but the Wallace campaign came to see LeMay as a liability. After the election, LeMay retired to his home in Newport Beach, California, and died in 1990 at age 83.

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External Related CPF

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/10567761

https://viaf.org/viaf/52630523

https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q15866

https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n83123431

https://id.loc.gov/authorities/n83123431

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Languages Used

eng

Latn

Subjects

Aeronautics

Aeronautics, Military

Air pilots

Aviation

Generals

Military education

Veterans

Vice

Vice-presidents

World War, 1939-1945

World War, 1939-1945

Nationalities

Americans

Activities

Occupations

Airforce officers

Army officers

Aviators

Legal Statuses

Places

Riverside County

CA, US

AssociatedPlace

Death

Columbus

OH, US

AssociatedPlace

Birth

Convention Declarations

<conventionDeclaration><citation>VIAF</citation></conventionDeclaration>

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Mandates

Identity Constellation Identifier(s)

w6941jhq

85387371