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| Information > Biographies > MAJOR GENERAL EDWARD P. CURTIS |
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MAJOR GENERAL EDWARD P. CURTIS
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Died.
Edward P. Curtis was born in Rochester, N.Y., on Jan. 14, 1897. He attended Williams College, Mass., for three years and in February 1917 went on duty with the American Ambulance Field Service in France, following which he entered the Second Air Instruction Center in France in September 1917.
He was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Air Signal Reserve Corps on Dec. 28, 1917, and was stationed at the Third Air Instruction Center. He was later assigned to the 95th Aero Squadron and served with them until December 1918. He was promoted to captain on Feb. 21, 1919, and was transferred to General Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Forces to serve on the Air Service History Board.
He returned to the United States in March 1919 and was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Air Service, Washington, D.C., as Chief of Pursuit Training. He held this position until he was honorably discharged on May 29, 1919. He had served in the Toul, Chateau-Thierry, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne engagements, and was credited with destroying six enemy planes.
He was commissioned a major in the Air Reserve Corps on June 17, 1919, and assigned to the 98th Division. For a year during 1919 and 1920, he was connected to the State Department, being stationed at Riga, Latvia, as secretary to the Hon. John A. Gade, U.S. Commissioner to the Baltic provinces. Following his return to the United States, he became associated with the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., and rose to the position of Chief Executive of Eastman's professional motion picture business. Throughout his years with the company he was in charge of the installation and operation of photographic research laboratories in New York and California, and he was also connected with research in the television field, particularly the newest developments in color television.
In the belief that the use of motion pictures for tactical purposes would be of considerable help in the event the United States should be confronted with another war emergency, General Curtis wanted to join the military again. He was commissioned a major in the Specialist Reserve Corps on Dec. 10, 1940, and called to active duty on Dec. 13, 1940, when he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, Washington, D.C. He was transferred from the Specialist Reserve Corps to the Air Corps Reserve on July 31, 1941, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel (temporary) on Jan. 2, 1942, with an assignment to Headquarters Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C., until July 1942. He was then stationed with the 8th Air Force in England.
He was promoted to colonel (temporary) on July 16, 1942, and to brigadier general (temporary) on June 4, 1943; to major general (temporary) on June 5, 1945. In January 1944 he was named Chief of Staff, U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe, and in June 1945 returned to the United States for assignment to Headquarters Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C. He reverted to inactive status on Nov. 17, 1945, and returned to the Eastman Company to assume the position of Vice President.
General Curtis was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, "For extraordinary heroism in action in the region of Stenay, France, Sept. 27, 1918. He volunteered to perform a reconnaissance patrol of particular danger and importance 30 kilometers within the enemy's territory. He made the entire journey through heavy antiaircraft and machine gun fire, and flew at an extremely low altitude to secure the desired information."
He was also awarded the Silver Star and was decorated by the French government with the Croix de Guerre with Palm.
In November 1944 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his role in the development and expansion of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
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