Rediscovering Maj. Gen. John F. Curry

Started by Smithsonia, July 21, 2008, 02:19:20 PM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Smithsonia

#40
Here's the build out information on Maxwell that was attached to the '27 plat map:
In 1927, Maxwell Field was considered briefly as a home base for a major pursuit unit of the Air Corps. However, the citizens of Shreveport, Louisiana, prevailed, and Barksdale Air Force Base was established. Instead, in 1928, it was announced that Maxwell would become the home of the Air Corps Tactical School, then located at Langley Field. Additional acreage was acquired to house the facilities for the new school. In 1929, construction started on a school building (Building 800), a hospital (Building 713), an observation and parachute building (Building 844), two-story duplex NCO quarters, hangars, and warehouses.

The TAC school developed the basic tenets of the Army Air Corps airpower employment theories and produced most of the Army Air Force leaders of World War II.

By the early 1930s, the overall plan of Maxwell described a square. The barracks were located on the north side of a central athletic and drill field. To the east were located the NCO quarters. Hangars and support buildings lined the west side of the field and the north side, beyond the barracks.

In 1931, the government acquired an additional 600 acres north and east of the original field. Officers' quarters constructed in this area formed a suburban enclave separated from the main post. French Provincial Revival style dwellings lined curved streets. The officers' club, the bachelor officers' quarters, and the golf course also were built in this section. The French Provincial Revival style also was used at Barksdale AFB and Ft. McClellan.

SO THERE IS OUR CONFIRMATION. HOSPITAL WAS CONTRACTED IN '29 and BUILT IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS. CAP HQ IS IN A BUILDING BUILT BY JACK CURRY.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

I went to the Denver Library today. I found the following;

4th District Air Force Technical and training Command Headquarters were at 1108 15th St. (not 1180 as I previously reported) in Denver CO. in summer 1941. The 5th Floor of this 7 story  Central Savings Bank Bldg. were all Air Force (not Air Corps strangely enough, as that's what is on the phone book listing)

The only person listed is "Maj. Gen John F. Curry Commander". However, we do know one of his staff was Capt. McIllhenny and in August 1941 the Captain sent out letters to the Governors of every state looking for the names of possible state commanders for the Civil Air Patrol. He sent this letter from the address above. I'm not sure but I would say this is the earliest command HQ request directed by the Civil Air Patrol. Previous orders and requests were from various political bodies setting up CAP through the Civil Defense Administration. This request was sent out on 2nd Air Force stationery.

This beautiful Be-auxarts building was unfortunately demolished in 1991. Other renters in this building in 1941 included the Youth League of the Communist Party on the Third flood and the Denver Miners Club on the 7th Floor. In Denver there remains one last vestige of this building. It is a marble sculpture that adorn the roof casement. It is a 15 ft miner and it is locate at 17th And Arapaho St. to this day. I just drove past it.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Timbo

Quote from: Smithsonia on December 31, 2008, 10:00:01 PM
..........were all Air Force (not Air Corps strangely enough, as that's what is on the phone book listing)

Not to cause a major drift, but in my "The Officers Guide, 1941" it refers to the Air Corps Officers as being assigned to the "Army Air Forces".  Air Corps is the branch the Officers were assigned to (as in their career branch like infantry, signal and engineer). 

So I imagine the "Army Air Forces" were referred to as just the "Air Force" then. 

Smithsonia

#43
Thanks Timbo;
The phone book listing states:
War Department U. S. Headquarters 4th District Air Force Technical Command
5th Fl. Central Sav. BK. Bldg. Maj. Gen. John. F. Curry, Commander. No phone number listed. 

below that listing it states:
Air Corps Technical Training Command Lowry Field E. 6th Ave. and Quebec. Denver Branch. Brig. Gen. Harvey S. Burwell Commander.

Anyway, the listings are as stated above. Nothing is said about the Army. I can't explain all the variation or phone book listing edicts. Thanks for the feedback.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

#44
Here's another good if long article on the men that changed Air Corps into the AF, brought Maxwell Air Tactical School up to speed, created the modern AF Doctrines, and launched American Air Power to domination in WW2. You'll have to put this address into your browser. It won't click through.
aupress.maxwell.af.mil/Books/Benton/Benton.pdf
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

#45
Eglin Field and Tuskegee's Moton Field each have Curry in their DNA. Both were off site/auxiliary fields for Maxwell AF and brought into the Maxwell sphere during the Curry Administration of Maxwell Field.
For more than sixty-five years and spanning six wars, Eglin has played a prominent role in airpower history. In 1931, personnel of the Army Air Corps Tactical School (Maxwell Field, Alabama under the command of John Curry) were looking for a site for a bombing and gunnery range, saw the potential of the sparsely populated forested areas surrounding Valparaiso, Florida, and the vast expanse of the adjacent Gulf of Mexico.

A local businessman and airplane buff, James E. Plew, saw the potential of a military payroll to boost the depression-stricken economy in the local area. He leased to the City of Valparaiso 137 acres on which an airport was established in 1933, and in 1934, Plew offered the U.S. government a donation of 1,460 contiguous acres for the bombing and gunnery base. This leasehold became the headquarters for the Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Base activated on 14 June 1935 under the command of Captain Arnold H. Rich. On 4 August 1937, the base was redesignated Eglin Field in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick I. Eglin, U.S. Air Corps, killed on 1 January 1937 in an aircraft crash.
I have 2 pictures of Capt. Eglin and then Maj. Curry. circa 1928. I'm working on verifying some of the Tuskegee Inst. Moton Field information. But Tuskegee was upgraded with concrete and hangars during 1935-36. The Mat Field was added in '38 and Civilian Pilot Training began in '39-'40. More on this one later.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

#46
Tuskegee (Moton Field) was first built in the '20s. However, as a WPA project it started an additional build-out in 1935-36... This during the Curry administration of Maxwell. The 53rd and 125th WPA Construction battalions worked at both Maxwell and at Tuskegee, for instance. Then helped build Eglin Airfield in 1936-37. (see previous post) John Curry wanted auxiliary fields for Maxwell and interestingly enough provide pilot training for the Ethiopian Air Force against the Italian's during the African Campaign. Circa 1935-37. SEE HERE:
http://www.customessaymeister.com/customessays/Aviation/7916.htm
http://books.google.com/books?id=7FmlqfQmfqoC&pg=PA51&lpg=PA51&dq=tuskegee+ethiopian+air+force&source=bl&ots=K8SYcuH_U-&sig=jGUE1Em_QTnGLY9K2Ym372CmBss&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA54,M1

Several Black American's would work on the WPA expansion of the field at Maxwell and Moton Field (Tuskegee) for the WPA. Then take pilot training for Ethiopia. Then return to Tuskegee and train with the 99th Pursuit Sqdn. for Europe.

As of yet I can not find a definitive source for John Curry's full involvement in all of this. However, given his help at finding mechanics and pilots for the Flying Tigers in China at the beginning of the War. His involvement behind the scenes at raising various resources for SE Asia (see earlier posts) and his strident defense of bringing Cadets, women, and integration to the CAP -- and his work with the CAP And Civilian Pilot training Program -- it seems likely that he was deeply involved in all (or most) of these matters at Tuskegee. Jack Curry for his day, was a very progressive man.

I do have a document titled "All Hands." John Curry is listed as one of 3 authors. In this report, he praises those marginalized and under utilized segments of the civilian population and how these people could be used in case of war. This document was written in 1938 while Col. Curry was on the War Dept. Generals Staff. It speaks highly and shows in detail how well women, African American (in his term the Negro race) and youth can be used in time of war. I don't have the entire document but I do have the summary. What spurred the writing of this report apparently came from a 2 month tour in 1936 of pre-war Germany. Curry wasn't impressed with the Nazis but was interested in the mistakes they were making by forcing out Jews. He seems to have been inspired to write this "inclusionary report" after watching the despicable marginalization of German Jews. I think the full document was classified and the summary is all that is left. This document is referenced several times by Fiorello LaGuardia in early 1941 as he built the Civil Defense Administration.

I can't say that I've found an Atticus Finch moment, in which John Curry faced-down the KKK on the courthouse steps, for instance. BUT, he lived as a son of Ireland, a practicing and devout Catholic, and his family had known discrimination. He had witnessed it the Army and the habits of the Jim Crow south. He seems to have been a man 20 or 30 years ahead of his time in this matter. Raising volunteers of Black Americans to fly for the Ethiopian Air Force against the Italians is the prelude to the Tuskegee Airmen of WW2 and integration of the US military just after the War.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

So that no one gets the wrong idea about this thread. I've been blogging as fast as I can to distribute my research notes as fast as possible. I think the Curry Project is of interest to CAP and Air Force Historians, Public Affairs Officers, and cadets and senior members too. As such, some of these items are going to be revised as new information presents itself. I want to thank the CapTalk moderators for allowing me the privilege of telling this great man's story, if in this piece-meal form. I got the following email today from Maxwell AFBs Historian George Cully today:

Ed, thanks very much for this info -- and ESPECIALLY for the Captalk
website address.  Very interesting, and definitely of interest to AU.
Best,
Geo.

I appreciate every one's interest and encouragement in the Curry Project. That said, I'll be letting the research go for a little while -- as I'm working on a Museum Exhibit Project. When I re-start the Curry research in 5-6 weeks, or so... I'll be working mostly on his post Army/Air Force career, which was quite significant. BUT, this may be of less interest to CapTalk.

Thanks for tuning in. When I am done with all the research, probably this summer, I will do a large monograph with pictures and maps included. It will be available to CAP, should they like. I started the publication lay out last night and it looks to be 45-50 pages in total. BUT, likely this will not be completed for 6-9 months, perhaps a year. Right now, I've written nearly 8500 words on John Curry and still, there's much to tell. What a guy!
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

#48
Ladies and Gentlemen;
As today (1-20-09) the Tuskegee Airmen are being honored during the Inauguration of Barack Obama -- The seminal historical review of Maj. Gen. John F. Curry is paying dividends. Please see the Encyclopedia Britannica item below -- Click here:
http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/honoring-the-tuskegee-airmen/

You will find that John F. Curry (in '34-'36) is now listed among those who worked to train the cadre of Black Americans who would one day be known as the Tuskegee Airmen. This Tuskegee work precedes the Airmen in WW2 and is not well known. This is a significant new piece of history coming from the Curry Research and now added to the Tuskegee Airman's legacy. Confirmation of these events from the researchers at Britannica are included in this piece.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

alamrcn

Ok, seriously....

Eric Roth, who adapted Forest Gump and Benjamin Button for film, really needs to look at doing a biographical screenplay for John Curry. All these notable, historical tie-ins throughout his life are amazing!

I found it interesting that Fiorello La Guardia cited Curry's letter on the success at Tuskegee. I don't know what the relationship between these two had been before, but maybe it was an event like this that brought them together and led to the forming of Civil Air Patrol.



Ace Browning, Maj, CAP
History Hoarder
71st Wing, Minnesota

Smithsonia

#50
alamrcn;
Curry wasn't talking about Tuskegee per se'. He was addressing those parts of society that should be utilized incase of War and the mistake the Nazi's made by repressing the German Jews of 1937. The training at Tuskegee for the war in Abyssinia seems to be more than coincidental. LaGuardia would use the document as a building block of the Civil Defense planning in WW2.

Regarding John Curry and Fiorrella LaGuadia. It is in an earlier posting on this topic thread. They served together in WW1. Curry was the main training officer for aerial attacks on balloons for the Air Service. During WW1 they weren't stationed together (at least that I know) but Curry signed off LaGuardia for "balloon air-attack." In the War they both shot down a balloon each. Curry was in France. Laguardia was in Italy. (in WW1 Italy was on our side)

I don't have a bunch of references about the 2 keeping in contact between the Wars. However, in July 1941 LaGuardia went on a train tour of the west. He was head of the Civil Defense Administration at that time. He was rallying people to volunteer for Civilian Defense. He stopped in Denver and met with John Curry. I am supposing that they talked about CAP at that time... because 10 days later Curry's Civil Affairs Liaison/Chief of Staff in 2nd Air Force sends out letters asking Governors of the States to recommend people to be CAP Wing Commanders. And, 4 months later Curry becomes Commander of the Civil Air Patrol. Right now I'm trying to get confirmation on some of this from LaGuardia biographers. Right now this is all circumstantial. And, Curry's files on the subject and from this date are missing. The only reason I have the letter to the Governors is because I retrieved a copy sent to the Governor of Colorado from the State Historical Library.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

#51
Several people have commented about how amazing Jack Curry's career was. How Forrest Gump-ish it was. When Lt. Curry graduated from flight training there were 270 officers, mechanics, non-coms, pilots, navigators, observers, etc. and enlisted in the Air Service in total. He was military aviator number 56. At the end of WW1, because of men killed in accidents and combat he had a listing as the 20th highest rated military pilot, this includes Army, Navy, and Marines. By the end of WW2 he was the number 6 or 7 highest rated pilot. This figure is arrived at by number of years in service, his rank, number of ratings held, and total hours flown. AND the Army/Army Air Corps had 3 million plus people in uniform.

The remarkable things he did? Are due to the seminal place he stood in the huge growth of American Air Power. Including his 40 years in the service. Jack Curry saw much. Jack Curry did much. Jack Curry had an amazing career indeed.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

Ladies and Gentlemen;
Capt. Scott Orr, Black Sheep Squadron Public Affairs Officer of the Colorado Wing has completed a You Tube report on the Maj. Gen. Curry Award and Salute which took place Dec. 6th 2008 and in referenced in threads above. If you'd like to see it - Click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtLVB618U98

Scott has been of great service in the Curry work.

Additionally, I spoke to Sheila Curry DeKalb, the General's daughter, a few days ago. She was unaware of the General's connection with the Tuskegee Airmen. I've also been in contact with several historians who are more familiar with Tuskegee's Heritage. So this is opening a new and exciting avenue of research that is just now being uncovered.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

I have a correction from a previous blog on this thread., and I think I've warned that these would come up from time to time.

George Cully at Air University sent me the following question yesterday:

"I can't quite follow the chronology ref'd in your comment "June '42-Sept. '42".  Did you mean
June '42 - Sept. '43?  There was only one raid in 1942 (the HALPRO
mission in June), and nothing further until Op'n Tidal Wave in Aug 43.
JFC left CAP in April 42 to go to Denver, and he was assigned there
until the summer of 1944.  (That's not to say he couldn't have been sent
overseas for a short time, of course).  As Chief of the AF Eval Board
for MTO (Jul 44-Mar 45), JFC was involved in analytic work that included
the Ploesti campaign, and there's a 'hit' in AFHRA's computer index for
'Curry-Ploesti.'  It's Vol VI of an AAF Eval Report."   
Cully, George W Civ USAF AETC AU/HO

It turns out the after Ploesti action report that I am referring to was done after a trip to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in the Fall of 1943. Not '42 as previously reported. I hope to get a copy of this after action report and place it in the Curry Research Catalog.

I thank George for his interest and helping clearing this up.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Gunner C


AdAstra

Very interesting stuff! Thanks, Ed! I was impressed Scott's video of the promotion ceremony at General Curry's grave.

I've been doing similar research on Gill Robb Wilson. I originally got started after attending the annual Memorial Day ceremony for Wilson. After retiring from "Flying" magazine, he moved to Clairmont, CA, where he lived for the last 10 years of his life. For the past 20 years or so, I have been the Master of Ceremonies at the annual memorial, held at Forest Lawn Covina Hills (about 10 miles East of Los Angeles, CA). I read at least one poem by Wilson, and quote the final paragraph from his autobiography, "I Walked with Giants." That final paragraph phrases CAP, but gives no details about its founding or his role. Wilson set aside work on the manuscript to write an obituary for test pilot Joe Walker. Wilson planned another 100 pages but died a few months later. It would be interesting to try to track down his notes.

Interesting to see Gen Bobick in Scott's video. The general attended the Gill Robb Wilson Memorial Ceremony when he was National Commander.
Charles Wiest

Smithsonia

Charles;
Go after GRW. It is important work. We honor ghosts and phantoms unless we find their footprints. Those prints are everywhere. Those footprints invite you to follow behind.

I've been in contact with many people working on various biography projects. I've reported about those in blogs on previous pages.

I urge those who would take up the cause to write about their subject. Those who care about the cause, to read about these subjects. AND those who would like, join, share, engage, and research
biographies and events of the Civil Air Patrol... let us know what you find.

This history waits. This history calls. These characters live. AND, their stories... will knock you dead.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

#57
We found what appears to be Jack Curry's Army Air Force Summer dress suntans. They've been lost to history. 40 Regular. Apparently there is also his belt with his command badge floating around the old Colorado Wing HQ at Buckley AFB too. This according to former Wing Commander Col. Jack Buschmann.

There was an exhibit from years gone by that was put together by a previous Wing historian... I came across the pictures of this exhibit on 2-25. I think I know the uniform... it is in a locker in the ladies restroom... of all places at hangar 909. the uniform is not marked as belonging to Jack Curry. As soon as we can find the key to this locker... which I have been in several times... I'll have this prize. It is unadorned and although it has patches it has no regalia, ribbons, wings, stars, or command badge... BUT I also have his official Air Force portrait painted in 1944 with everything properly painted in it's place and on this uniform. SO... the regalia is with Sheila Curry DeKalb. The uniform is in the restroom. The painting is at my house. I didn't steal it... just borrowed it for a few weeks as I try to put this all together.

One day soon I hope to put it all together and have an exhibit of the General including these items and a record his valiant and dedicated service to CAP, the Army, and the Air Force ready. So a monograph and museum exhibit seem likely some time this summer... for John F Curry. More soon. You find the oddest things in the oddest places. Historians take note and go into the ladies bathroom occasionally.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Gunner C

Too cool.  I hope you're going to take pictures.

Smithsonia

#59
Gunner; Pics? Wilco!
I am normally not much on uniform exhibits. Empty uniforms in life are empty uniforms in museums. Meaning, if I can find the person. If I can find the contributions, and grit, and honor, and personal life, and achievements, and personality, and legacy... then I am interested in the uniforms. Only when the story's main character is 3-dimensional is it worth placing the uniform on display. Then and only then do you get a feeling that the main character is present. Only then do we want to see him fully and vividly portrayed.

I am a storytelling researcher first. Archivist and myself have gone around and around for years with the limits of an exhibit space and parsing the story down to get an irrelevant picture to fit, while my research and story gets cut down because in museums there's mostly drive-by readers -- BUT -- In this case we have the man and the uniform. We have most everything we need to tell the story and show the man... so, for the first time -- I think a museum exhibit too is now appropriate. Where? I'll work on that for a while.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN