BRIGADIER GENERAL HERMAN ALFRED SCHMID

Herman Alfred Schmid was born in Milwaukee, Wis., in 1910. He graduated from the Pasadena Junior College in Pasadena, Calif., in 1931.

Appointed a flying cadet at Randolph Field, Texas in February 1932, General Schmid graduated from the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, in February 1933 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Reserve. He was then assigned with the Third Attack Group at Fort Crockett in Galveston, Texas. From February through May 1932, General Schmid flew as a pilot between Chicago and Omaha in the Army Air Mail operation. He was transferred with the Third Attack Group to Barksdale Field, La., in April 1935, and later served as an enlisted pilot and parachute rigger at Maxwell Field, Ala., until the fall of 1936.

On Aug. 1, 1936, the general was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Regular Army Air Corps and assigned to duty as a flying instructor on the primary stage at Randolph Field, serving until June 1939. At that time he was appointed an Air Corps supervisor at the Air Corps-supervised civilian flying schools in Tulsa and Muskogee, Okla. On Jan. 31, 1941, General Schmid was designated commanding officer of the Air Corps Training Detachment in a newly-established flying school at King City, Calif.

Becoming the assistant director of training for the Basic Flying School at Merced, Calif., in November 1941, General Schmid was later transferred to the Basic Flying Training School at Lemoore, Calif., as director of training. In January 1942 he was appointed assistant director of training at the newly-formed Central Instructors School for pilot instructors at Randolph Field. During the summer of 1943 the general attended the Empire Central Flying School, Hullavington, England, graduating in September 1943 and returned to Randolph Field as director of flying at the Central Flying School.

Ordered to the Headquarters Army Air Force of the India-Burma Theater in Calcutta, India, as assistant operations and Training Staff Officer in May 1944, General Schmid was later assigned duty as the U.S. Air Force liaison officer with the Royal Air Force 221 Group in its joint operations with the British 14th Army and other allied forces during the reconquest of Burma. Upon completion of the Burma campaign in July 1945, he was appointed commanding officer of the Army Air Force India-Burma Theater Flying Training Center at Karachi, India, where he served until February 1946.

Upon return to the United States, the general was appointed Air National Guard adviser for California and Arizona and assisted in the re-establishment of the Air National Guard. Four months later he was assigned as the senior instructor of the 62nd Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard at Van Nuys, Calif. Ordered to Headquarters Eastern Air Defense Command in August 1949, General Schmid was assigned duty as the wing executive officer for the Fourth Fighter-Interceptor Wing at New Castle Air Force Base, Wilmington, Del. He moved with the advanced echelon of the wing to Japan and Korea and was appointed commander of the Suwon Air Base (K13) in Korea, later assuming command of the Fourth Fighter-Interceptor Wing.

Returning to the United States, General Schmid joined the Eastern Air Defense Force, Stewart Air Force Base, N.Y., where he was designated assistant vice commander, until August 1952 when he enrolled at the National War College, Washington, D.C. Graduating from the college in June 1953, the general was assigned duty in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs) as director of the Office of NATO Affairs; director of the European Regional Office; and later director of the Office of Planning. In August 1955 he was named military assistant to the assistant secretary of defense, International Security Affairs.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters. He is rated a command pilot. General Schmid flew a total of 102 combat missions, 92 of them in World War II, mostly in P-47 and P38 aircraft; 10 in F-86 aircraft in Korea.

(Up to date as of April 1957)