Major General John F. Curry was born on April 22, 1886, in New York City, N.Y. He graduated from West Point in 1908 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and advanced through grades to the rank of major general in October 1940. He retired after more than 41 years of service, 30 of which were in aviation. His aeronautical ratings include pilot expert aviator, combat observer and combat pilot.
His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit and French Legion of Honor and Etoile Noire.
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOLS COMPLETED
1916 Signal Corps Aviation School, North Island, Calif.
1924 Air Corps Engineering School, McCook Field, Ohio
1928 Air Corps Tactical School, Langley Field, Va.
1929 Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
1936 Army War College, Washington, D.C.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1910 - 1914: Instructor at West Point.
Sept. 20, 1915: First flight.
1916: Joined First Aero Squadron as pilot. Pershing expedition into Mexico.
1917: Ordered to Honolulu, Hawaii, to command the 6th Aero Squadron and to select a site for the field for Aviation Sea Coast Defense. He selected and arranged the purchase by the Army of Ford Island, Pearl Harbor.
World War I: First Commander of Ellington Field Bombing School. Overseas Chief of Staff, 2nd Army Air Service, Shot down in Toul Sector and, later with some others, was credited with destruction of a German observation balloon.
1920 - 1923: Department Air Officer, Hawaiian Department.
1924 - 1927: Chief, Air Service Engineering Division, McCook Field, Ohio.
1931 - 1935: Commandant, Air Corps Tactical School, Maxwell Field, Ala. Maxwell Field was built up during those years.
1936 - 1938: War Department General Staff, Washington, D.C.
1938 - 1940: Commanding Officer of Hamilton Field, Calif.
December 1940 - August 1941: Commanding General, Northwest Air District and 2nd Air Force, Spokane, Wash.
August 1941 - December 1941: Commanding General, Rocky Mountain Technical Training Command, Denver, Colo.
December 1941 - April 1942: First National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol, Washington, D.C.
April 1942 - June 1944: Commanding General, Western Technical Training Command, Denver, Colo.
1944 - 1945: Chief, Air Force Evaluation Board, Mediterranean Theater of Operations.