 He commanded the 56th Fighter Group in England, which came to be known as "Zemke's Wolf Pack".Born March 14, 1914 to German immigrant parents, Anna (1889–1972) and Benno Zemke (1882–1967), in Missoula, Montana, Zemke had no desire to fly; he intended to pursue a degree in forestry at Montana State University on football and boxing scholarships.He instead attended the University of Montana where he was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity.