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Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless .380 ACP pistol serial
number 136813 - Model M .380 pistol issued to
Brigadier General Lotha A. Smith, USAF - In 1945, he was
promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and was presented
his Colt 1908 .380 caliber sidearm, serial number 136813.
This gun is accompanied by the original brown holster issued
to General Smith.
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BRIGADIER
GENERAL LOTHA A. SMITH, USAF (O9879) |
| 8 January 1894 |
Born in Kentucky |
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Admitted - North Dakota |
6 June 1917 -
14 November 1917 |
Private and Private 1st Class
Aviation Section Signal Corps
North Island, San Diego, California |
| 25 October 1917 |
Commissioned 1st Lt. Aviation
Section Officers Reserve Corps (ASSRC)
North Island, San Diego, California |
| 7 November 1917 |
Ordered active duty at Rich Field,
Waco, Texas |
| 15 November 1917 |
active duty |
|
Assignments November 1917 -
September 1918 |
6 November 1917 -
10 November 1917 |
Commanding Officer, Rich Field |
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Officer-in-Charge of Flying |
| |
Commandant of Cadets |
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Flying Instructor |
|
American Expeditionary Forces
Assignments |
September 1918 -
February 1919 |
Advances student
Issoudun, France |
| |
Temporary Service in England |
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Commanding Officer, 476th Casual
Company
St. Aignan, France |
| April 1919 |
Temporary Duty Newport News,
Virginia and Mitchel Field, New York to April 1919. |
| April 1919 |
Assigned Bolling Field, Washington,
DC |
|
Assignments |
| |
Engineering Officer. Squadron
Commander. Assistant Officer-in-Charge of Flying |
| 1 July 1920 |
1 Lieutenant, Air Service |
| 17 September 1920 |
vacated |
| 17 September 1920 |
accepted |
| November 1920 |
Relieved Bolling Field |
| November 1920 |
Assigned Border Patrol, Sanderson,
Texas |
| Assignments |
| |
Commanding Officer, Flight "A", 90th
Surveillance Squadron. |
| June 1921 |
Relieved Sanderson, Texas |
| June 1921 |
Assigned Kelly Field, Texas |
| Assignments |
| |
Project "B" |
| |
Commanding Officer, 13th Attack
Squadron |
| |
Commanding Officer, 8th Attack
Squadron |
| |
Commanding Officer, 60th Attack
Squadron |
| |
Commanding Officer, 43rd Attack
Squadron |
| 11 March 1925 |
Major (temp) |
| April 1926 |
Relieved Kelly Field, Texas |
| April 1926 |
Assigned to Hawaiian Department |
| Assignments |
| |
Engineering officer, 73rd
Observation Squadron |
| |
Commanding Officer, 59th Service
Squadron |
| |
Commanding Officer, 6th Pursuit
Squadron |
| |
Stations |
| |
Luke Field, T.H. |
| |
Wheeler Field, T.H. |
| 1928 |
Represented Hawaiian Department in
National Aerial Gunnery Meet at Langley Field,
Virginia. |
| 16 August 1928 |
Captain |
| May 1929 |
Relieved Hawaiian Department |
| May 1929 |
Assigned to Selfridge Field,
Michigan |
| Assignments |
| |
Commanding Officer, 27th Pursuit
Squadron |
| January 1930 |
Relieved Selfridge Field. |
| January 1930 |
Assigned 3rd Attach Group, Fort
Crockett, Texas |
|
Assignments |
| |
Commanding Officer, 8th Attack
Squadron |
| September 1933 |
Relieved from 3rd Attack Group, Fort
Crockett, Texas |
| September 1933 |
Assigned Student Air Corps Tactical
School, Montgomery, Alabama |
| 23 June 1936 |
accepted Major (temp) |
| June 1934 |
Completed course and assigned as
instructor, Air Corps Tactical School, Chief of the
Attack Section, and Assistant Director Air Tactics
and Strategy |
| 1934 |
Graduated Air Corps Tactical School
Rated: Comd. Plt.; C. Obsr. |
| 1934 - 1938 |
Instructor at Air Corps Tactical
School |
| 25 June 1936 |
relieved Major (temp) |
| 19 October 1937 |
Major |
| June 1938 |
Relieved assignment Air Corps
Tactical School |
| June 1938 |
Assigned to March Field, California |
| Assignments |
| |
Commanding Officer, 95th Attack
Squadron |
| |
Executive Director, 17th Attack
Group |
| |
Commanding Officer, 28th Composite
Group |
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S-2, 1st Wing |
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Acting G-2, Fourth Air District |
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Acting A-2, Fourth Air Force |
| 1939 |
Chief Air umpire fro CPX, 4th Army
at Presidio, San Francisco, California |
| 1940 |
Commanding officer of Air
Provisional Group Alaska |
| 1 March 1940 |
Lieutenant Colonel (temp.) |
| 11 March 1940 |
accepted |
| 29 November 1940 |
vacated, Lieutenant Colonel (temp.) |
| 29 November 1940 |
Lieutenant Colonel |
| April 1941 |
Relieved March Field |
| April 1941 |
Assigned Hammer Field, Fresno,
California |
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Assignments |
| |
Commanding Officer |
| 15 July 1941 |
Colonel (temp.) |
| 22 July 1941 |
accepted |
| 5 December 1941 |
Relieved from Hammer Field |
| 5 December 1941 |
Assigned Hamilton Field, California |
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Assignments |
| |
Commanding Officer |
| March 1943 |
Relieved from Hamilton Field |
| March 1943 |
Assigned Central Pacific Area |
| Assignments |
April 1943 -
26 December 1943 |
Island Commander and task Force
Commander, Canton island, Central Pacific |
| 26 December 1943 |
Relieved Canton. |
| 26 December 1943 |
Assigned Air Task Forces Commander,
Neukeufetau, Ellis Islands |
| 1943 - 1944 |
Served with Seventh Air Force as
field inspector |
| January 1944 |
Relieved from Neukeufetau |
| January 1944 |
Assigned War Plans Officer for Army
Air Forces Central Pacific Area |
February 1944 -
December 1944 |
Served with Seventh Air Force as
assistant chief of staff for plans. |
| January 1945 |
Brigadier General |
| Stations |
| |
Oahu, T.H. and Guam |
| 8 June 1945 |
Relieved from Central Pacific Area |
| 8 June 1945 |
Assigned Fourth Air Force |
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Assignments |
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Commanding General, 318th Wing |
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Commanding General, 319th Wing |
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Commanding Officer, Hammer Field |
| June 1950 |
Retired |
| 11 April 1970 |
Died |
Brigadier General Lotha A. Smith, USAF
(January 8, 1884 - April 11, 1970)
PROMOTIONS
General Smith received the following
promotions throughout his military career:
|
Promotions |
Temporary (AUS) |
Permanent (RA) |
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Brigadier General |
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January 1945 |
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Brigadier General - Retired |
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June 1950 |
DECORATIONS
General Smith's citations and decorations
included the Legion of Merit by Lieutenant General
Robert C. Richardson, Jr. for his achievements at Canton
Island and the Bronze Star by Lieutenant General
Barney M. Giles, Army Air Forces, for meritorious service as
War Plans Officer for the Army Air Forces in the Central
Pacific.
28th Bombardment Group
Constituted as 28th Composite Group on 22 Dec 1939.
Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated 28th Bombardment Group
(Composite) in Dec 1943. Aircraft included P-38's, P-39's,
P-40's, B-26's and LB-30's during 1941-1943, and B-24's and
B-25's during 1944-1945.
Operated in Alaska from Feb 1941 until after the war.
Trained for Arctic warfare in 1941 and served as part of the
defense system for the region. Helped to force the
withdrawal of Japanese ships that attacked Dutch Harbor in
Jun 1942. Flew missions against Kiska until the Japanese
evacuated that island in Aug 1943. Bombed and strafed
shipping, harbor facilities, canneries, fisheries, and
military installations in the Kurils. Also flew photographic
reconnaissance missions to obtain material for planning
operations. Received a DUC for the period Apr 1944-Aug 1945
when the group's attacks on the Kurils caused Japan to
divert some of her air power to that northern area, thus
weakening Japanese opposition to Allied forces in the south.
Flew its last bombing mission on 13 Aug 1945 but continued
reconnaissance operations in the Kurils after the war.
Inactivated in Alaska on 20 October 1945.
Redesignated 28th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy). Activated
in the US on 4 Aug 1946 as part of Strategic Air Command.
Equipped with B-29 aircraft. Was stationed in Alaska from
Oct 1946 to Apr 1947. Redesignated 28th Bombardment Group
(Medium) in May 1948. Redesignated 28th Bombardment Group
(Heavy) in May 1949 and equipped with RB-36's in Jul.
Redesignated 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Group in Apr
1950, and 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Group (Heavy) in Jul
1950. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952.
Squadrons. 11th Pursuit: 1942. 18th Pursuit: 1941-1942. 34th
Pursuit: 1940. 36th: 1940-1943. 37th: 1940-1941. 73d:
1941-1943. 77th: 1942-1945; 1946-1952. 404th: 1942-1945.
717th: 1946-1952. 718th: 1946-1952.
Stations. March Field, Calif, 1 Feb 1940; Moffett Field,
Calif, 10 Dec 1940-12 Feb 1941; Elmendorf Field, Alaska, 23
Feb 1941; Adak, 14 Mar 1943; Shemya, 26 Feb 1944-20 Oct
1945. Grand Island AAFld, Neb, Aug-Oct 1946; Elmendorf
Field, Alaska, 20 Oct 1946-24 Apr 1947; Rapid City AAFld,
SD, 3 May 1947-16 Jun 1952.
Commanders. Col William H Crom, 1 Feb 1940; Lt Col Lotha
A Smith, 12 Feb 1940; Maj William O Eareckson, 1 Sep
1940; Maj Donald W Titus, 20 Oct 1940; Maj William O
Eareckson, 26 May 1941; Maj Norman D Sillin, 7 Nov 1941; Col
Earl H DeFord, 23 Jan 1943; Maj Robert C Orth, 19 Mar 1943;
Lt Col Jack N Donohew, 27 Mar 1943; Lt Col Ralph W Rodieck,
18 Apr 1943; Lt Col John W Massion, 27 Oct 1943; Lt Col
Alexander W Bryant, 4 Jan 1944; Col Robert H Herman, 1 Apr
1944; Col Walter L Wheeler, 21 Jul 1945; Lt Col John C
Larson, 27 Sep-20 Oct 1945. Col Richard M Montgomery, 4 Aug
1946; Col Thomas Gent Jr, 23 Aug 1946; Lt Col Donald W Lang,
15 Aug 1947; Lt Col Everett W Best, 24 Dec 1947; Lt Col
Frank W Iseman Jr, 16 Apr 1948; Lt Col Solomon Cutcher, 27
Jun 1948; Col John B Henry Jr, 10 Jul 1948; Lt Col Everett W
Best, 25 Apr 1949; Col William P Brett, 2 May 1949; Lt Col
Solomon Cutcher, 21 Mar 1950; Col Donald W Eisenhart, 3 Apr
1950; Col Frank W Iseman Jr, 24 Jul 1950; Col Bertram C
Harrison, 18 Oct 1950; Col Richard E Ellsworth, 10 Feb
1951-16 Jun 1952.
Campaigns. Air Offensive, Japan; Aleutians.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Kuril Islands, 1
Apr 1944-13 Aug 1945.
Insigne. Shield: Per pale nebuly or and azure. Crest: On a
wreath of the colors, or and azure, a fleur-de-lis vert the
outer leaves terminated in the form of wings or. Motto:
Guardian Of The North. (Approved 14 Nov 1941.)
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