Victor Herbert Strahm

Name:

Country:

United States

Rank:

Major

Service:

United States Air Service

Units:

91^st Observation

Victories:

Born:

26 October 1895

Place of Birth:

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Died:

11 May 1957

Place of Death:

Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, USA

Cemetery:

Forest Park Cemetery, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

The son of Professor Franz Strahm, a German immigrant, Victor Herbert Strahm graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1915. He joined the United States air service in May 1917 and began flight training at Wilbur Wright Training Field in Dayton, Ohio in July 1917. A Salmson 2A2 pilot in 1918, he became an ace while serving with the 91st Observation Squadron. When the war ended, he remained in the army, serving as chief test pilot during the 1930's. During World War II he was deputy commander of the 9th Air Force and later served as deputy commander of the 33rd Air Division at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City and commander of Barksdale Air Force Base at Shreveport, Louisiana. He retired with the rank of Brigadier General in 1953 after 36 years of service. On 28 April 1957, having undergone heart surgery and despondent due to ill health, Strahm was found at his home in Shreveport with a bullet wound to the head and a .32 caliber pistol at his side. He was flown to the Lackland Air Force Base hospital but died on 11 May at the age of 61.

The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, Louisiana, Tuesday, 9 April 1957, page 34

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Victor H. Strahm, Major (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Metz, France, September 13, 1918. Major Strahm displayed remarkable courage and skill in penetrating the enemy territory for a distance of 25 kilometers, flying at an altitude of less than 300 meters. His plane was subjected to intense fire from anti-aircraft guns in the region of Metz, and he was attacked by a superior number of German planes, one of which he destroyed. He completed his mission and returned with information of great military value.

General Orders No. 1, W.D., 1919

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	04 Sep 1918	1100	91^st	Salmson 2A2	Pfalz D.III ¹	Rembercourt
2	13 Sep 1918	1530	91^st	Salmson 2A2	Fokker D.VII ¹	Orley Ferme
3	31 Oct 1918	1140	91^st	Salmson 2A2	Fokker D.VII ²	Jametz
4	31 Oct 1918	1142	91^st	Salmson 2A2	Fokker D.VII ²	Jametz
5	04 Nov 1918	1200	91^st	Salmson 2A2	Two-seater ²	Conflans

1	Observer Capt J A Wallis
2	Observer Lt T M Jervey

Books

Franks, Norman. American Aces of World War 1. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2001

Franks, Norman and Frank Bailey. Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914-1918. London: Grub Street, 1992

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