Retired Gen. Louis Theodore Seith, a World War II B-17 pilot, died March 6 of natural causes in Washington, D.C. He was 86. Seith graduated in 1943 from West Point, entering the Army Air Corps. He flew 261 combat hours during the war. Seith held various command and staff positions over his career, serving last as chief of staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium before his retirement in 1977.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.