Buy Now:



Finally, a definitive biography of General Curtis LeMay

"... a fine, candid book ..." --R. James Woolsey, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

"... an excellent biography." --James Schlesinger, former Secretary of Defense

"Warren Kozak has captured brilliantly the essence of one of America’s greatest generals and combat commanders." --Lt. General Thomas McInerney, retired, former assistant vice chief of staff of the United States Air Force

More About Curtis LeMay

Major General Curtis LeMay, 1944.
Second Lt. Curtis LeMay, wearing a parachute, after his graduation from cadet school.
Plane counting in England. Curtis LeMay would watch the skies until there was no chance of any more bombers returning from a mission.

November 15, 1906 -- Born in Columbus, Ohio.

November, 1910 -- A Wright Brothers plane from nearby Dayton flies over his house, sparking a lifelong fascination in aviation.

June & September, 1924 -- Graduates from South High School in Columbus and enters Ohio State University majoring in engineering.

October 1928 -- Accepted as a flying cadet in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

October 1929 -- Commissioned as a second lieutenant and posted at Selfridge Field, Michigan.

Spring, 1933 -- Supervises CCC camp in Brethren, Michigan.

Spring, 1934 -- Participates in FDR’s disastrous order for Air Corps to fly the U.S. Air Mail.

June, 1934 -- Marries Helen Maitland of Cleveland.

July, 1934 -- Assigned to Wheeler Field Hawaii.

March, 1935 -- Promoted to First Lieutenant.

December, 1936 -- Returns to the States and switches to bombers. Assigned to 2nd Bomb Group in Langley, Va.

August, 1937 -- Lead navigator in locating the U.S.S. Utah off the coast of California.

February, 1938 -- Lead navigator on longest B-17 exercise to date -- from U.S. to Argentina.

May 1938 -- Lead navigator again in exercise that locates the Italian Liner, Rex, off East Coast of U.S.

January, 1940 -- Promoted to captain.

March, 1941 -- Promoted to Major and assigned to 34th Bomb Group at Westover AFB, Massachusetts.

December 7, 1941 -- Pearl Harbor.

January, 1942 -- Promoted to Lt. Colonel.

May, 1942 -- Takes command of the 305th Bomb Group in Wendover, Utah.

June, 1942 -- Promoted to Colonel.

September, 1942 -- Brings the 305th to England.

November, 1942 -- The 305th flies its first mission to St. Nazaire.

September, 1943 -- Promoted to Brigadier General.

March, 1944 -- Promoted to Major General.

August, 1944 -- Takes command of 20th Air Force in China-Burma-India Theater.

January, 1945 -- Takes command of 21st Air Force in Marianas which is renamed the 20th Air Force later that spring.

March 9, 1945 -- Incendiary raid over Tokyo.

September 2, 1945 -- Witnesses surrender ceremony on deck of U.S.S. Missouri.

October, 1945 -- Heads Research and Development for Air Force.

September, 1947 -- Air Force breaks from Army to become independent branch of service.

October, 1947 -- Commander of U.S. Air Force in Europe.

January, 1948 -- Promoted to Lieutenant General.

June, 1948 -- Organizes the first flights of what becomes the Berlin Air Lift.

October, 1948 -- Becomes Commander in Chief of Strategic Air Command.

October, 1951 -- Promoted to full General at age 44.

July, 1957 -- Leaves SAC for Washington to become Air Force Vice Chief of Staff.

July, 1961 -- Appointed Air Force Chief of Staff by President John F. Kennedy.

October, 1962 -- Cuban Missile Crisis.

February, 1965 -- Retires from Air Force after 37 years of full service.

October, 1968 -- Runs as George Wallace’s running mate in the American Independent Party against the advice of family and friends, winning five states in the deep South and just under 10 million votes.

October 1, 1990 -- LeMay dies at home in California just one month before his 85th birthday. He is buried at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.