General Curtis E. Lemay Biography

"Pomp & Circumstance!"

"Ruffles & Flourishes;

Generals March!"

General Curtis Emerson Lemay

General Curtis Emerson Lemay was the “Father of the Strategic Air Command.” When he took over as its commander in 1948, it consisted of little more than a few understaffed and untrained B-29 groups left over from World War II. Less than half its aircraft were operational and the crews were next to worthless. He ordered a mock bombing raid on Dayton, Ohio, and most of the bombers missed their targets by one to two miles. That was unacceptable.

He subjected his men to vigorous training and long hours of hard work, but fought for additional pay and better housing to make their demanding lives more tolerable. He obtained vast fleets of new bombers, established a vast aerial refueling system, started many new units and bases, began missile development, and established a strict command and control system. When he left the command in 1957 to assume his new job as Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, SAC was the most powerful military force the world had ever seen.

But that was only one of his many accomplishments. He was the outstanding air combat leader of World War II. He developed the bombardment tactics and strategies that left Nazi Germany in rubble. He was transferred to the Pacific theater, where he took over command of the B-29’s and led the air war against Japan. He incinerated every major Japanese city and oversaw the dropping of the atomic bombs. After the war, he organized he famous Berlin Air Lift. It was this confrontation that began the Cold War and resulted in Lemay being given the job of whipping the fledging Strategic Air Command into shape.

He was always the best pilot, best navigator and best bombardier in every unit he ever served or commanded. He often demonstrated his courage by personally leading his bombers on dangerous missions including the attack on Regensberg, Germany where there was a heavy loss of men and aircraft. If his crews weren’t flying missions, then they were subjected to his relentless training. He believed it was the key to saving their lives and more quickly ending the war. They called him "Iron Ass" because he demanded so much, but they respected him immensely. A popular story that was widely circulated in SAC is that he approached a fully-fueled bomber with his ever-present cigar stuck firmly between his lips. A guard asked him to put it out, as it might blow up the aircraft. Lemay replied, “It wouldn’t dare.”

Curtis Lemay served as a general for seventeen years - longer than any other man in the history of the United States military. He received every award his country could bestow, other than the Medal of Honor. He was decorated by many other nations. In 1961, he became the Air Force Chief of Staff, it’s highest position.

He was the Cold War's fiercest warrior. His very first war plan drawn up in 1949, proposed delivering, "the entire stockpile of atomic bombs in a single massive attack." That meant dropping 133 A-bombs on 70 cities within 30 days. He argued that, "if you are going to use military force, then you ought to use overwhelming military force. Use too much and deliberately use too much you’ll save lives, not only your own, but the enemy's too."

The old warrior died on Oct. 1, 1990. He is buried in the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery at Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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General Lemay was a Boy Scout and a big supporter of the Boy Scout program.

The Mission of the Strategic Air Command Website

SAC was established on the concept of having a "force in being", one ready to go at a moment's notice. It's mission was unique: not to fight a war, but to deter one. Toward that end, it's primary mission was nuclear retaliation. It's missiles could only be used once and few of it's bombers were expected to return from a strike against the Soviet Union. SAC's war, if it ever came, would last less than a day. No other military organization has ever had such awesome power. Coupled with that, none ever exerted such tight control over it, nor demonstrated such restraint in using it. These are accomplishments without equal in human history and they need to be documented so that future generations will benefit from the lessons learned. Our mission is to provide a comprehensive overview of SAC and provide a meeting place for it's veterans.