What was Curtis LeMay known for?

Curtis LeMay (1906-1990) was a United States Air Force general. LeMay is known for designing and implementing the systematic strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Who does General LeMay believe is ruining the country?

President Kennedy : Well, maybe you haven’t noticed: You’re in it with me. General Curtis LeMay : Those goddamn Kennedys are gonna destroy this country if we don’t do something about this!

Was Curtis LeMay a good general?

Upon receiving his fourth star in 1951 at age 44, LeMay became the youngest American four-star general since Ulysses S. Grant. He would also become the longest serving person in that rank in American military history.

How many combat missions did Curtis LeMay fly?

five combat missions
As part of the 8th Air Force, it was one of the first U.S. air bombardment units to enter combat. LeMay flew five combat missions over Europe, winning the Air Medal and the Silver Star.

What did Curtis LeMay do in the war?

General LeMay organized and trained the 305th Bombardment Group in 1942 and led that organization to combat in the European Theater. He developed formation procedures and bombing techniques that were used by B-17 bomber units throughout the European Theater of Operations.

Was the Tokyo firebombing a war crime?

Over 50% of Tokyo’s industry was spread out among residential and commercial neighborhoods; firebombing cut the whole city’s output in half. Some modern post-war analysts have called the raid a war crime due to the targeting of civilian infrastructure and the ensuing mass loss of civilian life.

Was JFK in the military?

During World War II, he commanded a series of PT boats in the Pacific theater. Kennedy’s survival of the sinking of PT-109 and rescue of his fellow sailors made him a war hero for which he earned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, but left him with serious injuries.

How many bombs dropped in North Korea?

The U.S. dropped a total of 635,000 tons of bombs, including 32,557 tons of napalm, on Korea. By comparison, the U.S. dropped 1.6 million tons in the European theater and 500,000 tons in the Pacific theater during all of World War II (including 160,000 on Japan).

How many bombs were dropped in Vietnam?

Between 1965 and 1975, the United States and its allies dropped more than 7.5 million tons of bombs on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia—double the amount dropped on Europe and Asia during World War II. Pound for pound, it remains the largest aerial bombardment in human history.

Why is it called the Forgotten war?

The Korean War is often called the “Forgotten War” because it was largely overshadowed by WWII and Vietnam. The importance of this war in the history of the United States and the world is vastly understated; this conflict marked the first clear battle of the Cold War.

How many people did the US killed in North Korea?

Estimates of North Korean military deaths range from a U.S. Department of Defense estimate of 214,899 to a Correlates of War estimate of 316,579, according to the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) Battle Deaths Dataset.

What did Curtis LeMay say about overwhelming military force?

Curtis LeMay Quotes. If you kill enough of them, they stop fighting. 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.

What is the summary of mission with LeMay?

“Mission With LeMay: My Story” by Curtis E. LeMay, MacKinlay Kantor, (p. 560-561), 1965. Today, shooting wars are won or lost before they start. If they are fought at all, they would be fought principally to confirm which side had won at the outset.

What was the LeMay coal and feed delivery service?

Gen. Clay asked LeMay “Can you haul coal?” Even though he preferred the more aggressive response of an armed convoy backed by bomber aircraft, Gen. LeMay enthusiastically began the 5,000 ton per day airlift operation within weeks. He was so instrumental in its startup, it was initially called “The LeMay Coal and Feed Delivery Service.