BRIGADIER GENERAL LUTHER STEVENS SMITH

Luther Stevens Smith was born in North Carolina in 1901. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy June 12, 1924, and commissioned a second lieutenant of Air Service.

He entered Primary Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas, and continued on to the Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, graduating in September 1925. Assigned to the 94th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field, Mich., in May 1926 he joined the Composite Air Corps Squadron in Pennsylvania, and that December returned to Selfridge Field. From February 1927 to December 1931, he was a flying instructor at Kelly Field, Texas.

Going to Hawaii, General Smith served in the 18th Pursuit Group at Schofield Barracks until May 1934 when he returned to the U.S. for assignment as assistant post operations officer at Randolph Field, Texas, becoming post operations officer there that August. Returning to Kelly Field, Texas, in March 1935, he served with the 43rd Pursuit Squadron, becoming operations officer of the Advanced Flying School there that October.

Ordered to Washington, D.C., in July 1936, General Smith was assistant executive officer in the Office of the Chief of Air Corps. Entering the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Ala., in April 1940, he graduated that June and remained there as Director of Training at the Southeast Air Corps Training Center. Reassigned to the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, Washington, D.C., in December 1941, he was administrative assistant to the Chief of Air Corps until March 9, 1942, when he was named Director of Individual Training, assuming additional duty as acting Commandant of the Tactical School in Washington in September 1942.

The following March, General Smith assumed command of the 33rd Flying Training Wing at Waco, Texas, and was named commander of the 2500th Base Unit at Randolph Field, Texas, in May 1944. In July he was designated Director of Military Missions, Caribbean Defense Command. He was then assigned as an Army Air Force Member of the Joint Civil Affairs Committee at Air Corps Headquarters, Washington, D.C. From June 1945 until his retirement, he was U.S. Liaison for protocol with the Allied Control Authority, Berlin.

His military decorations include the Legion of Merit. He is rated a command pilot and aircraft observer.