AIR: Strategic Loss

At a time when it could ill afford to lose top-flight airmen, the U.S. Army had lost one of its best. Missing somewhere in California's San Joaquin Valley was square-jawed Major General Herbert A. Dargue, 55, chief of-the First Air Force, rated by many the smartest air strategist in the U.S. Missing along with him in the 21-passenger, bimotored transport that served as his command plane were five other Air Force officers, two privates.

Senior in rank to the other three air force commanders in the U.S., General Dargue had been flying since 1913. He was one of the first...

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