 Stratemeyer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1890.He graduated from the United States Military Academy in June 1915 ("the class the stars fell on") as a second lieutenant of Infantry.He served with the 7th and 34th Infantry regiments in Texas and Arizona until September 1916 when he was detailed to the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, for flying training at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California.