17 Facts About Lauris Norstad

Lauris Norstad was an American general officer in the United States Army and United States Air Force.

Lauris Norstad was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Martin and Marie Norstad.

Martin Norstad was born in Iowa to Norwegian immigrants from Rogaland.

Lauris Norstad earned his high school diploma from Red Wing Central High School in 1925.

Lauris Norstad graduated from the United States Military Academy June 12,1930 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army as a cavalry officer.

Lauris Norstad was and is one of those rare men whose capacity knows no limit.

Tibbets claimed that Lauris Norstad was a "social climber" and political animal in the Air Force and that he aligned himself tightly with Hoyt Vandenberg and followed him up the chain of command.

Lauris Norstad was transferred to Washington, DC in August 1944, where he was deputy chief of Air Staff at Army Air Force Headquarters with added duty as chief of staff of the 20th Air Force.

Lauris Norstad was relieved of this additional duty May 8,1945, and assumed additional duty as assistant chief of Air Staff for Plans at Army Air Force Headquarters.

Lauris Norstad was promoted to major general the following month.

On October 1,1947, following the division of the War Department into the Departments of the Army and Air Force, General Lauris Norstad transferred to the Air Force and was appointed deputy chief of staff for operations of the Air Force, and the following May assumed additional duty as acting vice chief of staff of the Air Force.

Lauris Norstad was designated air deputy to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, on July 27,1953.

Lauris Norstad served in the top post for European Command until November 1,1962 and as SACEUR until December 31,1962 when General Lyman Lemnitzer replaced him after his resignation over a disagreement with the withdrawal by President Kennedy of SACEUR's authority to decide on the use of tactical nuclear forces.

Lauris Norstad initially encouraged France to develop its own nuclear capacity, but then abandoned the idea once he grew disillusioned with French President Charles de Gaulle's interference with NATO.

General Lauris Norstad retired from the USAF on January 2,1963.

Lauris Norstad was critical of the Vietnam War, and in 1967 proposed a halt to the bombing of North Vietnam, a unilateral ceasefire, and an end to American reinforcements sent to South Vietnam, followed by a summit to negotiate a treaty.

Lauris Norstad died on September 12,1988, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia.