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Paul Bernard Wurtsmith (9 August 1906 – 13 September 1946) was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. Enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps as a flying cadet in 1927, Wurtsmith was commissioned in 1928. Over the next 13 years, he served in instructional and command positions. He took over command of the 49th Pursuit Group in December 1941 and between March 1942 and January 1943, his fighters downed 78 enemy aircraft in the defense of Darwin in northern Australia, against Japanese air attacks. In 1943 he assumed command of the V Fighter Command, part of Major General George Kenney's Fifth Air Force. In 1945, he commanded the Thirteenth Air Force in the Southern Philippines and Borneo campaigns. After the war Wurtsmith served with the Strategic Air Command. Wurtsmith was killed when his B-25 Mitchell crashed into a mountain near Asheville, North Carolina, on 13 September 1946. In February 1953, the United States Air Force named Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda Township, Michigan, in his honor. ==Early life== Paul Bernard Wurtsmith was born in Detroit, Michigan, on 9 August 1906,〔.〕 the eldest of three sons of Fred Bernard Wurtsmith, a railroad engineer on the Pere Marquette Railroad, and his wife Ella. Paul was educated at Holy Redeemer Grammar School and Cass Technical High School in Detroit. In his teenage years he earned some money working as a copy boy at ''The Detroit News''. In his spare time he worked on a Ford Model-T hot rod.〔.〕 He attended the University of Detroit, where he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a flying cadet on 4 August 1927.〔 On earning his wings through the successful completion of flight training at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas,〔.〕 he was directly commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Reserve on 23 June 1928. On 2 February 1929, he received a regular commission in the US Army Air Corps.〔.〕 He married Irene Gillespie. The couple had no children.〔.〕 Wurtsmith joined the 94th Pursuit Squadron, the famed World War I "Hat in the Ring" Squadron, at Selfridge Field, Michigan. Over the next 13 years, he served in numerous instructional and command positions.〔 He won the Mitchell Trophy Air Race in 1930.〔 On 1 October 1934, he was promoted to first lieutenant and was temporary captain from 7 August 1935 to 16 June 1936 before being promoted substantively on 2 February 1939. He graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School in 1939.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Paul Wurtsmith」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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