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General Curtis E. LeMay (1906-1990) was in the United States Air Force for 37 years, 12 of those years as a general officer. A few of the highlights of his illustrious career are as follows: he was a U.S. combat commander in World War II in both the European and Pacific Theatres; he was a leader of the Berlin Airlift; and he was the man most responsible for forging the Strategic Air Command (SAC). In 1961, he was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff of the Air Force, a post he held for four years. Although LeMay retired from the military in 1965, he remained active in aviation affairs. LeMay also remained part of the national scene and was George Wallace's running mate on a third-party ticket for the 1972 presidential election.