Brig. Gen. Victor Herbert Strahm
was enshrined in 2019
was enshrined in 2019
This is the story of Victor Herbert Strahm from Bowling Green, Kentucky who displayed great personal courage, heroism, and gallantry during the grim realities of both World Wars. Strahm graduated from Western Kentucky State College in 1915, and then immediately enrolled at the University Of Kentucky to study engineering. But in 1917 with the world turmoil, Victor answered the nation’s call to arms. He joined the U.S. Air Service, trained as a pilot, and was soon on his way to France to fly with the American 91st Aero Observation Squadron. Strahm and his fellow pilots possessed a bit of the daredevil. They were highly confident, and were always ready for a fight. Victor fitted that mold as an Air Ace: downing five German fighter aircraft while flying a reconnaissance aircraft, winning the nation’s second highest medal - the United States Distinguished Service Cross. Among his other awards for service in World War One were the U.S. Silver Star, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, and France’s Croix de Guerre with Palm for valor. Strahm also received a Letter of Commendation from Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, Commander of all U.S. Air Service Operations in France for his heroism in battle.
After WWI, Strahm was loaned from the Army to movie companies in Hollywood as a technical advisor, and later became a stunt pilot who thrilled audiences across America with his daring aerial skills. In addition, he flew in several national air races, winning the 1924 Southern Air Tournament at Bellaire, Florida and finishing third in two others. He continued entering air races in his relentless attempt to test and increase the speed of new aircraft. He also served as a test pilot for the First Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan, and later at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. He flight tested a variety of new aircraft that were being introduced into the U.S. Army Air Corps, one of which was the B-10 Bomber that pre-dated the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator bombers.
At the beginning of WWII, Colonel Strahm was serving on the air staff in Washington, D.C., but was soon ordered to join Major General Lewis Brereton, commander of the U.S. Tenth Air Force, in Calcutta, India. There, he served as a principal planner for flight operations ‘Over the Hump” to supply crucial war materials to the Chinese Nationalist forces and the U. S. Tenth Air Force, formerly known as the “Flying Tigers.” Colonel Strahm left the CBI Theater for Egypt in June 1942 with Major General Brereton who had been appointed as the new commander of the U.S. 9th Air Force. On 30 October 1942, Strahm was promoted to Brigadier General and was assigned as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Ninth Air Force.
The U. S. Air Force was needed to support the British Eighth Army under the command of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery in confronting German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s threat to Mid-Eastern oil. In October 1943, the Ninth Air Force, with Brigadier General Strahm still at the helm as Chief of Staff , was transferred to Great Britain to begin the reorganization of the Ninth Air Force in preparation for its greatest challenge, the support of the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944. After WWII, Strahm served in both the newly created Air Defense Command and the Strategic Air Command with distinction. For his service during World War II, Strahm was awarded the U.S. Legion of Merit, the Italian Gold Medal for Valor, the Polish Legion of Honor, the British Commander to the Order of the British Empire, and other honors.
Victor Strahm was a man who loved flying, and wrote to his parents in reply to one of their letters about how he felt about flying. He responded, saying: “I have that perfect feeling in the air.” There is no doubt he was a man born to fly. In summary: With Victor Strahm’s dedicated service to his country, and his passion for flying, he went on to become one of Kentucky’s, and this nation’s great aviators and pioneer in modern aviation.
On October 19, 2012, Brigadier General Victor H. Strahm, USAF, (Deceased) was inducted into the Western Kentucky University Hall of Distinguished Alumni. The award is based on outstanding contributions to the country, the state, and Western Kentucky University.
In May 2017, Mrs. Mary Lucas, Lt. Colonel Gilbert T. Calhoun, USAF (Ret.), and Mr. Jonathan Jeffrey published a book about the life of Brigadier General Victor Herbert Strahm. The book is entitled: “That Perfect Feeling in the Air.” The authors used Strahm’s unpublished WWI letters and his WWII diary from 1944 to help document this unsung hero of two world wars whose career paralleled the development of the U. S. Air Force.
After WWI, Strahm was loaned from the Army to movie companies in Hollywood as a technical advisor, and later became a stunt pilot who thrilled audiences across America with his daring aerial skills. In addition, he flew in several national air races, winning the 1924 Southern Air Tournament at Bellaire, Florida and finishing third in two others. He continued entering air races in his relentless attempt to test and increase the speed of new aircraft. He also served as a test pilot for the First Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan, and later at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. He flight tested a variety of new aircraft that were being introduced into the U.S. Army Air Corps, one of which was the B-10 Bomber that pre-dated the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator bombers.
At the beginning of WWII, Colonel Strahm was serving on the air staff in Washington, D.C., but was soon ordered to join Major General Lewis Brereton, commander of the U.S. Tenth Air Force, in Calcutta, India. There, he served as a principal planner for flight operations ‘Over the Hump” to supply crucial war materials to the Chinese Nationalist forces and the U. S. Tenth Air Force, formerly known as the “Flying Tigers.” Colonel Strahm left the CBI Theater for Egypt in June 1942 with Major General Brereton who had been appointed as the new commander of the U.S. 9th Air Force. On 30 October 1942, Strahm was promoted to Brigadier General and was assigned as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Ninth Air Force.
The U. S. Air Force was needed to support the British Eighth Army under the command of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery in confronting German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s threat to Mid-Eastern oil. In October 1943, the Ninth Air Force, with Brigadier General Strahm still at the helm as Chief of Staff , was transferred to Great Britain to begin the reorganization of the Ninth Air Force in preparation for its greatest challenge, the support of the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944. After WWII, Strahm served in both the newly created Air Defense Command and the Strategic Air Command with distinction. For his service during World War II, Strahm was awarded the U.S. Legion of Merit, the Italian Gold Medal for Valor, the Polish Legion of Honor, the British Commander to the Order of the British Empire, and other honors.
Victor Strahm was a man who loved flying, and wrote to his parents in reply to one of their letters about how he felt about flying. He responded, saying: “I have that perfect feeling in the air.” There is no doubt he was a man born to fly. In summary: With Victor Strahm’s dedicated service to his country, and his passion for flying, he went on to become one of Kentucky’s, and this nation’s great aviators and pioneer in modern aviation.
On October 19, 2012, Brigadier General Victor H. Strahm, USAF, (Deceased) was inducted into the Western Kentucky University Hall of Distinguished Alumni. The award is based on outstanding contributions to the country, the state, and Western Kentucky University.
In May 2017, Mrs. Mary Lucas, Lt. Colonel Gilbert T. Calhoun, USAF (Ret.), and Mr. Jonathan Jeffrey published a book about the life of Brigadier General Victor Herbert Strahm. The book is entitled: “That Perfect Feeling in the Air.” The authors used Strahm’s unpublished WWI letters and his WWII diary from 1944 to help document this unsung hero of two world wars whose career paralleled the development of the U. S. Air Force.