Rediscovering Maj. Gen. John F. Curry

[Smithsonia]

At the end of WW2, in early Aug '45, there was a series of B-29 Raids on Japan with conventional bombs. Because of the spectacular Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear explosions, these raids went under reported. Here is General Spaatz, General Kenney's, and General Arnold's communiques regarding these raids.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/37163410/Carl-Spaatz-papers-related-to-the-Japan-air-raids

This is an extensive download. It is will worth the reading. My contention has long been that is wasn't Hiroshima that ended the war. It wasn't even Nagasaki. These were remote sites and distant cities and it took time for the Japanese leadership to understand the threat of one large bomb wiping out a city. However, these thousand plane raids made the plight of the Japanese plain. The final raids, which was crewed by numerous generals including Curtis LeMay. This is an account of the "Raid of the Generals". It is the first time that air power by itself ended a major war.

If you've followed these characters through this thread - you know of their connection to Jack Curry.

I thank Lt. Col. Mark Hess for the web-address above. It is a remarkable find accomplished by a remarkable researcher. 

[Smithsonia]

I've been to Mendocino CA. to meet with the executor of  younger daughter Joan Curry's will, Susan Smith. On Tuesday I picked up 5 diaries, a swagger stick, a scrapbook and some other material. I am bringing these back to Denver. Some are on loan, some have been donated.

The Diaries include WW1, Maxwell and Langley '31-37, Jack Curry's wedding and birth of his 2 daughters, Hawaii in 21/22, and some WW2. The names of Spatz, Spaatz, Eakers, Arnold, Ent, Chennault, Olds, are scattered throughout. However, I haven't had time to delve deeply into them yet.

Jack Curry was an indefatigable diarist - Each diary covers 3 to 4 years - Perhaps 15-20 years of his career. These will be invaluable. Much more on this treasure trove soon. Susan Smith seems very keen on preserving and documenting Jack Curry's great deeds. I'll let you know what I know as quick as I can.

[Smithsonia]

As promised I began going through the Curry Diaries today. i'll try and do one year per week and post.
Highlights - WW 1 Diary Entries of Jack Curry (partial compilation)
Oct. 17th 1918 - Rain today Go to 2nd Army as Chief of Staff
Oct. 23rd Leonard Cora Died today
Oct 25th To Toule Airdrome for look
Oct. 26 Kirby hurt in crash
Oct. 29 Drop leaflets over Austrians. Shot down over LaChaussee' 4:30pm 200 yards infront of our lines. Plane left.
Nov 3rd - Ran into balloon near Prexey. Shot it down. Scrappy.
Nov 11 - Last trip over lines. Great Battalion in Nancy. Dinner 25th Aero Sqr.
Nov. 12. Alive - let down from war. All very strange.

[Smithsonia]

Today I sent off the Air Corps Footlocker and some stars, wings, and militaria of John Curry when he ran the Tactical Air Command School at Maxwell.

The Footlocker will be used in an exhibit at the renewed Headquarters building. I thank Jim Shaw for putting this all together. I look forward to the building's dedication and eventually seeing some of the Curry Memorabilia on display. This footlocker has been in my basement for 8 months. My wife is happy to bid the dusty relic goodbye. But, actually tonight... I miss it. It's headed your way Jim.

[AdAstra]

Curses! I'm currently at National Staff College. The dedication will be the 28th or 29th, but I leave on the 24th and I'll miss it.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Today I sent off the Air Corps Footlocker and some stars, wings, and militaria of John Curry when he ran the Tactical Air Command School at Maxwell.

The Footlocker will be used in an exhibit at the renewed Headquarters building. I thank Jim Shaw for putting this all together. I look forward to the building's dedication and eventually seeing some of the Curry Memorabilia on display. This footlocker has been in my basement for 8 months. My wife is happy to bid the dusty relic goodbye. But, actually tonight... I miss it. It's headed your way Jim.

Ed:


Got any other dusty relics that your wife wants to get rid of?

My HQ has a "Heritage Hall" with CAP memorabilia displayed.  I have pix from the Coastal Patrol, and off-the-computer reproductions of a Norge washer ad and a Lucky Strike cigarette ad, as well as a local pic taken when CAP here ran air support to marine exclusion operations for the space shuttle launches.

My HQ is used by our Group to hold "Auxiliary Officer Training School" which is an enhanced level 1 course for new SM officers.  Bombarding the FNG's with our history is a good way to inspire them to reach for excellenc\e.

[Smithsonia]

Katch;
If I have anything extra - I'll letcha know. Actually, I have stuff everywhere but either it is worthless or spoken for.

You'll love this Curry Diary entry - June 22 1927. Hamilton Field Ohio. "Much excitement Lindbergh today. Missed routing from St. Louis. Kenney's for Dinner." (Interpretation) Charles Lindbergh came to Hamilton to meet Orville Wright. Wright is not mentioned. Lindbergh is exciting. Lindbergh got a little lost coming from St. Louis. George Kenney who would become MacArthur's Air Chief in WW2 and was John Curry's COS at this time, hosted a dinner.  So in one entry we find: John Curry, Orville Wright, Charles Lindbergh, and George Kenney. For Curry this wasn't unusual.

These are the people Curry saw in '35 - At least the one's I could identify as you need two names or a recurrently used familiar nick name.
Sumpter Smith who received the Distinguished Service Medal posthumously in WW2  - http://www.oursmithfamily.org/aviation/aviation.htm
Harvey Burnell - Australian Tuberculoses Anti Smoking advocate and lung specialist.
Leslie MacDill -MacDill Air Force Base is named in honor of Col Leslie MacDill (1889–1938). Commissioned in the Coast Artillery in 1912, Colonel MacDill became a military pilot in 1914. During World War I he commanded an aerial gunnery school in St Jean de Monte, France. http://www.shorpy.com/node/6496
Gen. Bowley - They served together in Mexico. http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ajbowley.htm
Charles MacDonald http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_H._MacDonald
Gen. Craig http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/malincra.htm
Gen. Stanley Dunbar Embick http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Dunbar_Embick
Muir Fairchild - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muir_S._Fairchild
The President-FDR at a reception before the Army Navy game.
The Chinese Ligation at Bolling Field in Washington DC. (this one will be important as Chennault will leave 3 months later to work for
the Chinese.)
I think there are numerous references to Claire Chennault in these diaries - however it is never by name but only his initials. CC. So cocktails
OClub CC, pursuit class CC, CC demo team. It's got to be Chennault... but I don't think it is definitive just yet because CC has many interpretations: copies, commander, commanding colonel, or some one else's initials that I am not familiar with.etc, etc.

Lt. Wagner - Lt. Boyd "Buzz" Wagner becomes the first American USAAF ace of World War II by shooting down his fifth Japanese plane over the Philippines.

Curry Diary entry - Jan 1 '37. Eglin killed in Alabama Air Crash about noon. Very Sad today.
I've been working on a diary from '35-'37. I haven't found the Tuskegee stuff yet. However, lots of names to research. I think I'll find
it in here somewhere.

Col. Curry made $8,812.51 in 1935 and was reimbursed for $47.53 in car fare or mileage. That is a lot of money for "35.

[Smithsonia]

I do have a 1925 JF Curry diary but...
Tons of references to Eakers, MacDill, Spaatz (spelled Spatz), Glenn Curtiss and Arnold flying in to McCook Field before the Billy Mitchell
Hearing which was in Oct. '25. These guys are coming through multiple times in 2 or 3 months. Also Bureau of Standards multiple meetings
at McCook Field before it was moved to Wright Pat in '27...

Curry states "Argued All Day" "Very Heated" "Trouble and Troubled". Could this have been about the Billy Mitchell Affair? What were they arguing about?

More research to do.

However in late Oct... no entries, for 9 days not one... were these the days he spoke on behalf of Mitchell? Interesting!

I have figure out the references to George Kenney in these diaries. He is called simply "Geo." Beginning in 1925 McCook Field
OH. Geo (Kenney) is in and out of camp all the time.

This also gives insight into the relationships Curry had with these men and the growth of familiarity in their names.

In '25 George Kenney is "Geo". Carl Spaatz is "Spatz" Hap Arnold is always Arnold. Leslie MacDill is always MacDill or Capt. MacDill... but eventually (by WW2) Capt. Eakers will become Ira or IE and Spaatz will become Tuey -- Diaries are simply full of wonderful little insights.

[JohnKachenmeister]

This also highlights the sense of community in the Air Corps back in "The Day."  The Air Corps was a small, tightly-knit community of aviators who shared a dedication to make American Air Power great.  We may never see such a group again in our modern, bureaucratic military, and that is a shame.

That's why, when a U-boat was spotted on a sandbar off Florida and nobody was available with a gun to shoot it, the CAP commander (a former Air Corps officer) felt comfortable in cutting the chain of command and calling Hap Arnold directly to vent his frustration.

[Smithsonia]

Kach;
If I remember right there were about 2500 Air Service Members in '27. That was every Army person involved in Air Power (less-ness)
It was a tiny group. Back then, all the support personnel were regular Army. So if you were a mechanic - One day you worked on a Ford
truck, the next day a Jenny, and the day after that the wagon driven by mules. Such was the era of 1927.

However, by WW2 there is an additional reason for the short handing of names which I am detecting. These guys were
jumping grades by leaps and bounds as the war approached. So I'll see Capt. So and So due tomorrow and then Lt. Col. So and So stayed through Tuesday. It is the same guy who jumped 2 grades... Meaning he flew in with his new bars or chicken wings and now had to be re-referred to as Lt. Col. Eakers or Lt. Col. MacDill. Capt. Eglin became Fred after he was a Lt. Col. for instance.

I think just to keep it straight Jack Curry went to personal references for his upgrading buddies as he dispenses with references to ranks.

[MSG Mac]

In '25 George Kenney is "Geo". Carl Spaatz is "Spatz" Hap Arnold is always Arnold. Leslie MacDill is always MacDill or Capt. MacDill... but eventually (by WW2) Capt. Eakers will become Ira or IE and Spaatz will become Tuey -- Diaries are simply full of wonderful little insights.

Gen Spaatz was originally "Spatz" He changed it in the 1930's because of the many mispronunciations of his name http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/airforce/p/spaatz.htm

[Smithsonia]

MSG Mac;
I knew about the Spatz versus Spaatz name change and have written about it on this thread. Curry persisted with the Spatz versus Spaatz spelling - if informally -  even after the Spaatz name change - which was the point I was actually trying to make. Thanks for helping clear that up.

Regarding Curry and Lindbergh - the Stutz Bearcat Company gave Charles a car. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stutz_Bearcat
The promoter was trying to bring the company back and made a one of a kind custom car for Lindbergh.

They left it at McCook. Lindbergh was supposed to pick it up there. Instead his schedule allowed only for flying. So Jack Curry had a Stutz parked at his house for a few weeks until Capt. Lindbergh sent for it. I bring this up at this point because... Spatz and Stutz look alike on the handwritten page and you can imagine my confusion with Spatz parked in front of Curry's home for several months in July and Aug of 1927.

[Smithsonia]

The Third Annual Curry Salute and Awards Ceremony in Denver is announced for Sat. Dec. 4th 2010. All CAP members are welcome.


         The Third Annual Maj. Gen. John F. Curry Salute and Awards Ceremony
         Date: Sat. Dec 4th, 2010
         Time:  Sign in at 0:900 hrs and Ceremony Begins - 09:30 hrs (please be on time)
         Place: Ft. Logan National Cemetery - Shelter A - see directions below

CURRY CADET PRESENTATION AND MAJ. GEN. CURRY GRAVESIDE TRIBUTE: CAPs First National Commander, Maj. Gen. John F. Curry is buried at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver. CAP was organized on Dec. 1, 1941 . The CO/WG and will conduct a Graveside Ceremony in honor of CAP Day and our first National Commander. This ceremony will be held on DECEMBER 4th, 2010 at Ft. Logan. SEE DIRECTIONS BELOW.
                     
DESCRIPTION OF EVENT: At 09:30 hrs. on Sat. Dec. 4th 2010, CO/WG will conduct a ceremony at the graveside of Maj. Gen. John Curry. This will be a one hour  ceremony consisting of presentation of honored guests (and other special invitees TBA), Gen. Curry's biography, and a gravesite salute by cadets. We will dismiss no later than 11:00 hrs.
                     
On display this year will be the Personal Diaries of JF Curry from WW1 until 1940. These unique pieces of history will be on display at this ceremony only and will be returned to the family in a few months.
                   
                     
LOCATION: Ft. Logan National Cemetery. Directions here: http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/ftlogan.asp
Follow Interstate 25 to exit, Hampden Avenue (Highway 285). Turn (west) heading toward the mountains to Sheridan Boulevard. Turn left (south) on Sheridan Boulevard.     
                     
Cemetery is located two blocks south of Hampden Avenue on the left (east) side of Sheridan Boulevard. At the main West Entrance we will have officer or cadet with instructions to Pavilion A. Parking is limited. Please be on time. We don't want to leave people in the weather any longer than is necessary. We will meet at Shelter - A.
   
UNIFORM: Senior Members: USAF Style Dress or appropriate corporate equivalent (No polos). Cadets: BDU/Utility Uniform/or USAF Style Dress and dress appropriately for the weather. All Uniforms, shoes and boots should be clean and presentable. Plan on being in the weather for up to 90 minutes. Plan on cold and possible snowy conditions. Boots, over-shoes, overcoats, mufflers, gloves - acceptable. Squadron Officers will conduct a uniform inspection of their own cadets before the ceremony. This inspection should be informal and one-on-one. The first year we had 60 degrees and sunny. Last year - was a fresh 6 inch layer snow and 36 degrees. This years weather, of course, is to be determined. We'll find out together.
                     
COMMANDERS: 2010 is the first year this event has been opened to the Wing. You and your Curry Awardees, all interested members, and their parents are cordially invited. However, there will be a limit of 60 attendees. The POC would appreciate prompt response and promises equally prompt confirmation. Please address all questions to Capt. O'Brien at the address or number below.

Signed:

CAP CO. Wing Commander Col. Edward Phelka
Group One Commander Lt. Col. William Aceves
CAP Project Officer Capt. Ed O'Brien
303-871-9005/ email: ed@e-obrien.com

[Smithsonia]

I've been going through the JF Curry Diaries from 1917-1939. In many years there is a reference to Egg Nog Party. "Nice Egg Nog Party at CC" "Good Egg Nog Party later" Things like that.

These references made me curious as they happened every week to 10 days and mostly on the weekends. Almost never around the holidays that egg nog consumption is associated with... Well, I finally figured these references out last night. These Egg Nog references occurred during Prohibition and are a substitute for Cocktail Parties. These occurred at Maxwell, Washingtion DC, Langley, Wright Field, and numerous other bases. US Prohibition Era was 1920-1933 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition

It makes sense that if you were going to drink and do it on base (if in private quarters) during prohibition - It would be good to have a cover or code word for it. Remember these men were sober military officers of consequence and of the first order. However, they were also young, hot fighter jocks too.

Diaries are simply the best historical instrument to penetrate the social characteristics of the subjects. This little piece of information establishes about egg nog parties says much about the social milieu of Jack Curry and the men mentioned in this thread.

By the way there was an egg nog party for Charles Lindbergh in '27, Hap Arnold in '32, and other dignitaries (including Congressmen and superior officers) too. Obviously this was a well tolerated occasion, if done discretely.

[Smithsonia]

I am working on the Curry Diary from Maxwell '33/'35.
Jan 19 '33 - Air Conference in Town. Roosevelt (I am assumming FDR) and Gov. Miller's dinner - lots of spirits tonight
Jun 9 '34 clr cool Ferried Langley to Mitchel via Bolling. Stay N.Y. with Geo. (Kenney) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchel_Air_Force_Base
Jun 20 '34 1 hr 35 min P-12 bumpy Delos (Emmons) supper http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delos_Carleton_Emmons
Aug. 9th '34 clr 85 Diarrhea all day. car to agency for check. back to bed
Nov. 22 '34 Flew P-12 1hr 10 min. High wind bad landing
Dec. 11 '34 Capt. Ballard and Lt. Castenada collide in air both killed - Ballard burned - very sad. New procedures
Dec 17 '34 MacDaniels & delos (Emmons) Mexican War Dept Funeral Gave Flag to Ar. (Army) Museum, good sleep
                (I'm assuming this has to do with Lt. Castenada's death but do not actually know)
Dec. 29 '34 Busy day - Dance Cocktails Club with Geo. (Kenney) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Kenney
Jan. 9 '35 - Steward AWOL $300 shortage Officers pay chit
There are notes in these days of his daughters illnesses, family get togethers, and more. In '30 and again in '35 Sheila Curry nearly died from
a series of infections in her ears that traveled to her brain. It was a desperate time in the Curry Household. It was a 2 month fight
that only the new and then lightly tested sulpha drug brought "My dear girl back" "It hurts to see her hurt so." "The doctors give no hope"
"Bad day for Sheila." "Very much worried." "Praying for our Little Girl, fever 104."

These tender entries go on for many days. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfonamide_%28medicine%29
There are other entries about playing golf, graduation at Maxwell, a surprise party on his birthday.
This was a heady time among the growing Air Corps elite... but these weren't easy days for Jack Curry. 

[Smithsonia]

More on the 1931-'34 diaries of JF Curry. Some highlights that I have been able to research so far:
Feb 23 '32 Boeing Bomber demonstrated at field. Took off 1pm cracked up Nashville 3pm. No one hurt. Bed early.
Jan 1 '33 New Years Eve Party much fun. Sgt. Gilman killed today near Columbia. Sad news.
Jan. 3 '33 Maj. Smith here from McClellan (Beedle Smith) JF Pratt luncheon. Flew BT - 1hr 30min.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Bedell_Smith
Jan 12 '33 Flew PT-12 #2 First radio test. Not good. Bed Early
Jan 21 '33 Busy day. Pres Roosevelt arrive 7PM. Capitol for dinner at Gov. Mansion.
Jan 25 '33 Clear Boil on tail, Flew PT-12 #5 radio test. bad still.
Feb 7 '33 Lecture by Guidalla on History. "Remember Your History and Do Your Duty."
                (This line was uttered by JF Curry many times. I think this is the first reference. I don't know if he
                  came up with it - or the lecturer did)
Feb 28 '33 Very Busy. Ken Walker in hospital very sick. (Kenneth Walker eventually was awarded the Medal of Honor in WW2)
                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Walker
Jan 8 '34. Spatz (Spaatz) and Gen F (Falois or Follett) here all day. Spatz to dinner.
Jan 18 '34 Hunting quail near Harmon (or Haumon) Ala with Vernon Pritchard fine time.
             (Pritchard was 1914 West Point Quarterback http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,792534-6,00.html )
Jan, 25 '34. Saw "Dawn Patrol" much depressed. ( http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/the-dawn-patrol-1930/ )
Jan 30 '34. Roosevelt birthday ball tonight. Late night.
Feb 27 '34. Cold flew PT 12 1 hr 10 min in PM. Gen. Bullard to dinner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lee_Bullard
Mar. 3 '34 Stratemeyer to dinner much to talk about. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stratemeyer
Mar 12 '34 Insp. (Inspector General) Follet all day good report. http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=9826

From the 1930 entries (which I haven't gone through completely but relate in narrative) Jan 30 '30 Hardest month in our life. Me sick then Sheila. Much too worried. JF Curry also relates that Sheila had 3 mastoid operations and he kept count of the nights with her and his wife Eleanor up all night. 26 repackings the wounds and 63 nights of tender loving care. Tough times for the Curry's in 1930. Ft.Leavenworth, then Langley, then Maxwell.

[Smithsonia]

There is a topic in the Curry Diaries that I have touched on but don't think we fully appreciate.

HEALTH -
The routine care, comfort, medicines, nutrition, and even spirits of humans today is a miracle. Curry's diaries are from 1917-1939. Prominent on every page is death and disease. 
Care - Doctors didn't have antibiotics. Colds went on for a month or more as persistent infections travel through the body. Even ingrown hairs became boils of puss and caused lancing every few days. Tooth aches could kill as infection took hold. Children died young. Families worried. TB, Sleeping Sickness, food poisoning, malaria, croup, Flu was deadly, unbounded infections... abounded. Every page covering a week of entries at a time contains a reference to health. Jack Curry was not a hypochondriac. He was healthy by the standards of the day. BUT he worried about everyone.

Nutrition During this time, while no one starved, not everything was available every day. There were milk shortages and large amounts of fresh food that spoiled because of lack of cold storage. There was scurvy, rickets, food profiteers, and chronic hunger. Not on the Curry posts or airfields but around the areas that Curry traveled. (think about Grapes of Wrath farmers)

Comfort Air Conditioning was unknown. While there were fans, high ceilings, large windows, etc. There was also the daily battle with the environment and weather. People in the south routinely slept poorly and bathed in their own sweat or shivered in the cold. Pilots were exposed in open cockpits to brutal conditions. Hypothermia was not understood. There is a story of a pilot landing after a normal winter days flight that had to be physically retrieved from the plane, placed in the ops office, given medical brandy to warm him... then a reference to being taken to the hospital for altitude (or pilot fatigue) syndrome. Which is actually hypoxia and hypothermia. Back then the mental status of the syndrome was thought to be stress induced lapses or even chronic illness.

Oxygen deprivation at altitude increases the incidences of hypothermia. The body gets colder faster because O2 is missing at the capillary delivery points at the fingers, ears, and toes... and eventually the brain. When this occurs the brain is injured like a concussion.

As you know once you are very hypothermic it becomes easier to be chilled again. Confusion, restlessness, headaches persisted as the pilot became sicker and sicker after each days flight. Hypothermia (after it hits the brain) takes a few days to fully clear up. Repeated daily exposure cause a chronic condition that meant these men were always in pain (knees, fingers, necks, eyes, even noses) and old before their time. Three packs of cigarettes a day weren't helping either. Think about having a moderate ice cream headache all the time and that is what chronic twin brothers of hypoxia and hypothermia felt like to airmen of the 20s and thirties.

Most of Jack's contemporaries died in their mid-50s to early 60s. Many more died young and in war. Jack lived to be an old man...

If you think you have a tough life, you don't. The normal life we have today, when compared to the teens, twenties, and thirties - is a miracle.
SO TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO GIVE THANKS!!!

[Smithsonia]

If you've been following the John Curry thread for some time - and are curious about all the characters in these pages - I have most of my collection in image form online at the TeamCap Library.
Here's Jack Curry's family, duties, friends, and comrades.
http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1055
http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2407
                   http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1656
                   http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1656&page=2
                   http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2319
                   http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/index.php

Additionally - The Maxwell Gallery is worth your attention at:
http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1470

[Smithsonia]

I worked several all nighters on this one. It is just that engaging a piece of historical research. This linking up of characters brings Hap Arnold, Jack Curry, Charles Lindbergh, Orville Wright, the Liberty Engine factory and Packard Aircraft engine plant, Muir Fairchild, George Kenney, Jimmy Doolittle, Edwin Aldrin (Astronaut Buzz Aldin's father), and a bunch more names all together in 2 places. McCook FIeld and/or Maxwell AFB.

First the story of Liberty Aircraft Engines (beginning in 1919): http://www.scribd.com/doc/45503292/1918-42-Liberty-Engine-History

AND the story of McCook Field (the precursor to both Maxwell's TAC and Wright Patterson's technical assessment, development, and evaluation schools. Read these:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/45553969/McCook-Field-History-I
http://www.scribd.com/doc/45554168/McCook-Field-History-II
http://www.scribd.com/doc/45555113/Air-Force-Flight-Test-History
http://www.scribd.com/doc/45554578/Air-Force-Logistics-Command-History

Jack Curry, Muir Fairchild, and George Kenney are both places over a 15-17 year period. This inter-war nascent, low profile development group is working through
the issues of American Air Power development up to and through WW2. Liberty Engine begat, Wright Engine, then Packard AIrcraft Engines, which has a deal with Rolls Royce for engine manufacture
during WW2 - This is the team that resolves the P-51 upgrade to a Roll Royce Engine from the Allison Engine - All this under the Chief Engineer, Curry Protege', and former Lt. Col. Jesse Vincent.
http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2006/01/01/hmn_feature17.html?t=printable
http://automotivehalloffame.org/honors/index.php?cmd=view&id=139&type=inductees

Other beneficiaries of the Jesse Vincent genius include Jimmy Doolittle and Eddie Rickenbacker each raced cars and planes for and with Packard/Vincent Engines. Jesse Vincent had the innovative touch that everyone wanted to receive.

In this story of Vincent and Curry there is a constant and rising drumbeat of conceptualizing- designing- building - testing - upgrading - retesting - and repeating.
You can see the lineage and progression here: http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/lin_hon_cmdrs_of_asc.htm
This lineage includes Maj. Gen. Albert Boyd. http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/korea/albertboyd.htm  - Well regarded test pilot and Air Force father of the KC135 air refueling program.

Additionally - Lining up this material from McCook FIeld ('23-'27) and Maxwell )'32-'36) with the entries in John Curry's Diaries of those years - There were many more arguments and troubled contentions within the McCook days. These are also  preceding and through the Billy Mitchell Court Martial of '25. It seems not that they were arguing about Mitchell... but reflecting Billy Mitchell's Command style (which was acrid and contentious). By Maxwell, Jack Curry's boys spent their time writing, assessing, revising, and developing ideas - through a measurable process with less time yelling, soothing hurt feelings, addressing grievances, and controlling emotions. I think this change over the years indicates something about the change in command style over time and the lessons learned from the Mitchell Affair and lessons learned in corralling and exploiting high functioning egos and geniuses. 

This place, time, and these characters are the progenitors and protagonists of American Military Aircraft development. This is big medicine for understanding where Jack Curry fits in the pantheon of not just Air Power advocates but more importantly, Authentic American Air Power Geniuses. Certainly Jesse Vincent (without formal training yet god granted gobs of innovative talent) fits the bill. The significance of this list of personages that John Curry cherry picked, head hunted, mentored, managed, and protected through his career can not be overstated. In this story I don't feel like I am reading the Bible... I feel like I am holding the tablets of the commandments. This link up of friends and colleagues is that important.

John Curry is a modern Prospero standing at the center of Shakespeare's Tempest. John Curry did not control the tempest but by selecting its elements he'd conger and deploy genius, his and theirs, for purposes unforeseen by lesser men.

I thank TeamCAP.org for help on this one.

[Smithsonia]

There is an addition to my post above.
There were 2 centers of gravity for Air Service/Air Corps innovation post WW1.
Dayton OH and McCook/Wright Field/Wright Patterson AFB AND the Desert Southwest. Mainly Davis-Monthan in Tuscon but Rockwell Field, North Island Coronado Island San Diego. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell_Field

This is where the nook and cranny crew of Carl Spatz (Spaatz) Robert Olds, and Ira Eakers were working through the implementation of the Ohio innovations, mostly during the 20s.