If you knew or served with this Airman and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Home Town Spencer, Indiana
Last Address Fort Crockett, Galveston, Texas
Date of Passing Nov 05, 1934
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Horace Meek Hickam was born in Spencer, Indiana on August 14, 1885, the eldest child of a lawyer, Willis Hickam and his wife, Sallie Meek Hickam. He attended Spencer High School, then enrolled at Indiana University. While there, he joined the Indiana National Guard. In 1904, he obtained an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy.
While at West Point, he excelled in both academics and athletics. When his class graduated in 1908, Hickam was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and posted to the 11th US Cavalry, serving in Vermont, Georgia, and Texas for 2 years. In 1911, while serving at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, he utilized his spare time to take flying lessons.
In 1914, he was sent to the Philippine Islands and posted to the 8th Cavalry. In 1916, he returned to the U.S. to a posting with the 7th Cavalry. He served under General John Pershing in the Mexican Punitive Campaign, distinguishing himself in combat against Villanista bandits. His efforts in combat on April 22, 1916 gained him the award of the Silver Star Medal.
After Mexico, Hickam served as Professor of Military Science at the University of Maine. On August 5, 1917, he was promoted to Major and assigned to the Aviation Section of the U.S. Signal Corps.
On August 15, 1918, he received certification as a military pilot and received further pursuit training in Florida. On October 1918, he became Commanding Officer of both Dorr and Carlstrom Fields ( US Air Service) in Florida. In January 1919, he became Chief of the Information Division and wrote the first definitive history of the Air Service.
He became assistant commandant of the Advanced Flying School at Kelly AAF in Texas in 1923. Less than 2 years later, he testified at the courts-martial of "Billy" Mitchell, giving support and reasoning for a separate Air Force.
Following this, Hickam attended the Air Corps Tactical School at Langley, Virginia; the Command and General Staff College; and the Army War College. Then he was assigned to the War Plans Division, General Staff, where he spent the next 4 years.
He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on March 31, 1932, and was given command of the 3rd Attack Group at Fort Crockett, Galveston, Texas. In 1934, in the mail crisis, he was assigned by President Roosevelt to command the Central Zone, located in Chicago.
Colonel Hickam became commander of Fort Crockett in November 1934, with a fighter group that flew the A-12 Shrike. On May 21, 1935, in a night landing accident while flying the A-12 Shrike, Col. Hickam hit an embankment and was killed in the resultant crash.
On May 21, 1935, the newly-constructed air field located in Honolulu, Hawaii was named Hickam Field, later AFB, now Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Horace M. Hickam. An elementary school in Honolulu also bears his name today.
