BRIGADIER GENERAL KURT M. LANDON

Kurt M. Landon was born in Maryville, Mo., on Jan. 16, 1908. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in June 1930 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the regular Army. He entered flying training at Brookes Field, Texas, on Sept. 12, 1930, and received his wings as a pilot on Oct. 10, 1931.

For the next 11 years he was assigned to the Army Air Corps and held various assignments including duties as pilot, airplane commander, aircraft section commander, engineering officer, flight instructor, training group commander and training and operations officer.

On Jan. 1, 1942, he was assigned as training and operations officer at Turner Army Air Field, Ga., and remained there until February 1943 when he was designated as Station Commander at Blythville Army Air Field, Ark. He was assigned to combat duty in November 1944 and transferred to the Pacific Theater of Operations.

Upon his return to the states in January 1946 he was assigned to the Eighth Air Force at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., where he served successfully as Deputy Wing Commander, Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander and Commanding Officer. He was assigned to Strategic Air Command headquarters, Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska, in October 1946, as Wing Commander. General Landon was then appointed Chief of Staff at Yukon Air Division headquarters, Alaska.

In August 1948 he began the National War College, Washington, D.C., and immediately thereafter was assigned to Armed Forces Special Weapons Project headquarters there as Deputy Chief of Staff. In December 1950 he went to Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., as Deputy Commander of the Special Weapons Command, which was redesignated the Air Force Special Weapons Center, Air Research and Development Command, in April 1952.

General Landon was appointed Chief of Staff of the Air Research and Development Command, with headquarters in Baltimore, Md., in June 1953; and in February of the following year was named Deputy Command of Support Operations there.

He is rated a command pilot. His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters and Air Medal.