BRIGADIER GENERAL VICTOR HERBERT STRAHM

Victor Herbert Strahm was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 26, 1895. He attended Kentucky State University before enlisting in the Aviation Section, Signal Reserve on August 15, 1917. He was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Aviation Section, Signal Reserve on October 20, 1917.

SERVICE
He received his military aviation training at the School of Military Aeronautics in Columbus, Ohio; the Officers Training Camp at Indianapolis, Indiana; the Wilbur Wright Flying School in Fairfield, Ohio, and the 3rd Aviation Instructor Center at Issoudon, France.

He went overseas in November 1917 and was attached to the 91st Aero Squadron. He took part in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne operations and was assigned to duty with the American Forces in Germany. He was credited with destroying five enemy planes and received the Distinguished Service Cross.

Upon his return to the United States, he was assigned to duty at Carlstrom Field, Florida, in October 1920. He was transferred to Brooks Field, Texas, in July 1922 for duty with the 47th School Squadron, and in October 1922 went to McCook Field, Ohio, for special training.

In April 1923 he became Adjutant at the Middletown Air Intermediate Depot, Pennsylvania, and in October 1925 was sent to Selfridge Field, Michigan, as Post Adjutant. He was placed in command of the 95th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field, in May 1926. He was placed in command of the 17th Pursuit Squadron in July 1928 at Selfridge Field and took over command of the 1st Pursuit Group there in July 1929.

He entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Alabama, in September 1931 and was graduated in June 1932. He was Chief of the Flying Branch and Test Pilot at Wright Field, Ohio, from July 1932 until August 1935, when he entered the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was graduated in June 1936 and in the following month was sent to March Field, California, as Supply Officer, S-4, for the Base.

In January 1937 he became Operations and Intelligence Officer at March Field. He entered the Army War College at Washington, D.C., in September 1938 and was graduated in June 1939, at which time he returned to March Field, California, as Operations and Intelligence Officer.

In July 1939 he went to Langley Field, Virginia, for duty with the General Headquarters Air Force.

In July 1941 he was assigned to Bolling Field, District of Columbia, for duty with the Air Force Combat Command. Following duty with the United States North African Military Mission, Cairo, Egypt, in late 1941, he was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff, A-3, of the Tenth Air Force, New Delhi, India, in March 1942. In June 1942, he became Assistant Chief of Staff, A-3, of the Middle East Air Force, followed by assignment as Chief of Staff of the Middle East Air Force, in September 1942. He was announced as Chief of Staff, Ninth Air Force, European Theater of Operations, in September 1943. He returned to the United States where, in July 1945, he was appointed Commanding General of the 34th Flying Training Wing at Midland Army Airfield, Texas.

In September 1945 he was named Commanding General of the Army Air Forces Central Flying Training Command, Randolph Field, Texas. From January 1946 to July 1947, he served as Commanding Officer of Barksdale Field, Louisiana. Following duty with the Second Air Force at Fort Crook, Nebraska, he became Commander of the 141st Air Force Base Unit at Orchard Place Airport (later renamed O’Hare International Airport), Park Ridge, Illinois, and then, in 1948, took command of the 2471st Air Force Reserve Combat Training Center at the same location.

In 1951 he was appointed Commander of the 33d Air Division (Defense) at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. He retired in the rank of Brigadier General on February 28, 1953.

He was rated a Command Pilot, Combat Observer, Aircraft Observer, and Technical Observer.

PROMOTIONS
Private First Class, Aviation Section, Signal Corps, August 15, to December 14, 1917; First Lieutenant, Aviation Section, Signal Officers Reserve Corps, October 26, 1917, to September 8, 1919; Captain, Air Service U.S.A., November 1, 1918, to September 8, 1919; Major, Air Service U.S.A., May 14, to September 8, 1919; First Lieutenant, Air Service, July 1, 1920; Captain, June 16, 1928; Major (temporary), March 2, 1935; Major, August 19, 1937; Lieutenant Colonel (temporary), March 1, 1940; Lieutenant Colonel, November 29, 1940; Colonel, A.U.S., February 1, 1942; Brigadier General, A.U.S., October 30, 1942; terminated Brigadier General, A.U.S., November 30, 1945; Colonel, A.U.S., July 15, 1941; Colonel, April 2, 1948; retired in rank of Brigadier General, February 28, 1953.

DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, World War I Victory Medal with four Bronze Stars, Army of Occupation of Germany Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with five Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, French Legion of Honor, French Croix de Guerre with two Palms (1914-1918), French Croix de Guerre with one Palm (1939-1945), Polish Order of Polonia Restituta, Polish Kościuszko Squadron Badge, Polish Pilot’s Wings.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1919, with the following citation:

“For extraordinary heroism in action near Metz, France, September 13, 1918. Captain Strahm displayed remarkable courage and skill in penetrating the enemy territory for a distance of 25 kilometers, flying at an altitude of less than 300 meters. His plane was subjected to intense fire from antiaircraft guns in the region of Metz, and he was attacked by a superior number of German planes, one of which he destroyed. He completed his mission and returned with information of great military value.”

AERIAL VICTORIES
During World War I, Victor H. Strahm received official credit for shooting down five German aircraft (September 4, 1918; September 13, 1918; October 31, 1918 [2 victories]; November 4, 1918) while serving with the 91st Aero Squadron in France.

(Strahm biography dated May 11, 1945, supplemented by information from USAF Historical Study No. 91: Biographical Data on Air Force General Officers 1917 to 1952.)