Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 27. Correspondence, clippings, photographs, etc., covering Bowling Green native Victor Herbert Strahm\u27s U.S. Air Force career. There are over 100 letters written to his parents in Bowling Green, Kentucky, describing his World War I activities and 27 letters to his mother detailing his participation in the early days of World War II

Folklife Archives, Manuscripts &

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Western Kentucky UniversityTopSCHOLAR®MSS Finding Aids Manuscripts12-12-2007Strahm, Victor Herbert (MSS 27)Manuscripts & Folklife ArchivesWestern Kentucky University, mssfa@wku.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_mss_fin_aidPart of the Military History Commons, and the United States History CommonsThis Finding Aid is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in MSS Finding Aids by anauthorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact connie.foster@wku.edu.Recommended CitationFolklife Archives, Manuscripts &, "Strahm, Victor Herbert (MSS 27)" (2007). MSS Finding Aids. Paper 285.http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_mss_fin_aid/285MSS 27 Manuscripts & Folklife Archives – Special Collections Library – Western Kentucky University  Manuscripts & Folklife Archives Special Collections Library Department of Library Special Collections Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY  42101  Descriptive Inventory  MSS 27    STRAHM, Victor Herbert, 1897-1957  1½ boxes.  14 folders.  251 items. 1909-1945.  Originals, photocopies, photographs.   1944.10.1   BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE         Victor Herbert Strahm, 1897-1957, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the son of Franz Joseph and Alice (Jones) Strahm.  In 1910, the family moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, when his father joined the music faculty of Western Kentucky State Normal School.  Victor received his teacher’s life certificate in 1915 from Western; continued his education at the University of Kentucky, majoring in engineering; and enlisted in the army with the rank of private in May 1917.  He began his army career at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana; entered aviation training at Ohio State University; learned to fly at Dayton, Ohio, received his commission as first lieutenant on October 31, 1917; and was sent to France immediately.  After additional training in France, he was attached to the 91st Aero Squadron, U.S. Air Service; promoted to the rank of captain; and awarded military medals. Strahm’s duties included mainly surveillance and spotting, but he also was credited with downing five German planes.        Following his return to the United States in 1920, Strahm was discharged fromthe army.  Planning to obtain his engineering degree, he entered the University of Wisconsin, but soon rejoined the army with his previous rank of first lieutenant.  Strahm was stationed at various posts in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s.  Sometime in the 1920s he married, and his wife’s first name was Ruth.  They had no children, and her death occurred between 1939 and 1942.  In 1942 Strahm went to India and Egypt to assist in organizing the 9th Air Force.  He was commissioned a brigadier general and received decorations from Britain and Poland.  After World War II, Strahm commanded several air bases before retiring in 1953.  He died in San Antonio, Texas, and his survivors included his widow, stepson, mother (d. 1963), and sister, Louise (Mrs. Carl Barber).     Bibliographical Notes    The Collection.    Kentucky Library, Vertical Files    Warren County Biography File       MSS 27 Manuscripts & Folklife Archives – Special Collections Library – Western Kentucky University  2 COLLECTION NOTE         The collection consists chiefly of Strahm’s letters written to his parents during his overseas duty.  More than one hundred letters dating from 1917 to 1919 were written while Strahm was in France, where he trained and flew missions even into the postwar period of 1919.  Two dozen letters written during 1942 and 1943 cover his service as brigadier general in India and Egypt.  There also are several newspaper clippings concerning Strahm’s career from World War I to 1943.  The forty photographs of Strahm, his associates (including a 1919 photo of Strahm, U.S. General William “Billy” Mitchell, and Edward, Duke of Windsor), and of airplanes, document his service.  Other materials include a few printed items, a four-page summary of “American Airmen in the World War,” a book of paintings of the 9th Air Force and copies of Aerial Age and Army and Navy Journal for January 1919.  There is nothing in the collection dating after his mother’s move from Bowling Green in 1944.   SHELF LIST  BOX 1  Correspondence 1917-1944 162 items  Folder 1a Descriptive Inventory  6 items      Folder 1 Note by Mrs. Strahm about Victor’s 1917 20 items    enlistment and early service; corres-    pondence of Strahm to parents  Folder 2 Correspondence – Strahm to parents Jan.-Apr. 1918 24 items  Folder 3 Correspondence – Strahm to parents May-Aug. 1918 35 items    (including one marked “Mother’s Mail”)  Folder 4 Correspondence – Strahm to parents Sept.-Dec. 1918 33 items  Folder 5 Correspondence – Strahm to parents 1919, 1928, 1939 17 items  Folder 6 Correspondence – Strahm to mother 1942-1944 27 items   BOX 2  Clippings, photos, miscellaneous 1909-1945 89 items  Folder 1 Newspaper clippings and General  1917-1919 11 items    Orders pamphlet – Strahm  Folder 2 Newspaper clippings – Strahm 1920-1929   7 items  Folder 3 Newspaper clippings – Strahm 1930-1938   7 items  Folder 4 Newspaper clippings – Strahm 1940-1943 23 items    MSS 27 Manuscripts & Folklife Archives – Special Collections Library – Western Kentucky University  3 Folder 5 Photographs – Strahm (includes 1919, n.d. 12 items    Edward, Duke of Windsor, Billy      Mitchell, and Strahm) and     Aerial Age, Jan. 27, 1919  Folder 6 Photographs – Strahm, fellow  1920-1933 24 items    officers, and planes  Folder 7 Miscellaneous items 1919, 1945   5 items     1.  Collection of cigar bands 1909-1910     2.  Army and Navy Journal, January 4, 1919       3.  Invoice – Return of coat, 1919    4.  Ninth Air Force USAAF   (includes      picture of Strahm as brigadier general,      1945)    5.  “American Airmen in the World War”, 4p., n.d.    6.  91st Aero Squadron history, 4p., n.d.   BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD  MSS STRAHM, Victor Herbert,                    1909-1945    27  1897-1957    Correspondence, clippings and photographs  covering Bowling Green, Kentucky native Strahm’s   U. S. Air Force career.  More than 100 letters written   to his parents in Bowling Green describe his World  War I activities, and 27 letters to his mother detail  his participation in the early days of World War II.   1½  boxes.  14 folders.  251 items.  Originals,  photocopies, photographs.   1944.10.1      SUBJECT ANALYTICS  Aviation, Military Mitchell, William, 1879-1936 – Photo     B2,F5 Mitchell, William, 1879-1936 – Relating to, 1919          B2,F5 Strahm, Alice (Jones) 1874-1963 – Letters to          B1,F3-7 Strahm, Franz Joseph, 1867-1941 – Letters to          B1,F3-6 United States – Army Air Force Warren County – World War I, 1914-1918 – Soldiers from Windsor, Edward, Duke of, 1894-1972 – Photo      B2,F5 Windsor, Edward, Duke of, 1894-1972 – Relating to, 1919      B2,F5 World War I, 1914-1918 – Aerial Operations, American  MSS 27 Manuscripts & Folklife Archives – Special Collections Library – Western Kentucky University  4 World War I, 1914-1918 – France World War I, 1914-1918 – Photographs      B2,F5-6 World War I, 1914-1918 – Pilots and pilotage World War II, 1939-1945 – Aerial Operations, American  World War II, 1939-1945 – Egypt, 1942-1943 World War II, 1939-1945 – India, 1942-1943 World War II, 1939-1945 – Pilots and pilotage      Jeffrey 11/09/2011 

Strahm, Victor Herbert, 1897-1957 (MSS 27)

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Strahm, Victor Herbert (MSS 27)

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