Ira C. Eaker

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Ira C. Eaker
Lt Gen Ira C. Eaker, USAAF, Deputy Commander of the Army Air Forces
Birth name	Ira Clarence Eaker
Born	(1896-04-13)April 13, 1896 Field Creek, Texas, U.S.
Died	August 6, 1987(1987-08-06) (aged 91) Andrews AFB, Maryland, U.S.
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	Infantry, United States Army Air Service, United States Army United States Army Air Corps United States Army Air Forces  United States Air Force
Years of service	1917–1947
Rank	General (honorary) (1985)
Commands	Eighth Air Force
Battles / wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal (3) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross (2) Air Medal Congressional Gold Medal
Other work	VP of Hughes Aircraft (1947–57) and Douglas Aircraft (1957–61)

General (Honorary) Ira Clarence Eaker (April 13, 1896^[1] – August 6, 1987) was a general of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Eaker, as second-in-command of the prospective Eighth Air Force, was sent to England to form and organize its bomber command. While he struggled to build up airpower in England, the organization of the Army Air Forces evolved and he was named commander of the Eighth Air Force on December 1, 1942.

Although his background was in single-engine fighter aircraft, Eaker became the architect of a strategic bombing force that ultimately numbered forty groups of 60 heavy bombers each, supported by a subordinate fighter command of 1,500 aircraft, most of which was in place by the time he relinquished command at the start of 1944. Eaker then took overall command of four Allied air forces based in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, and by the end of World War II had been named Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces. He worked in the aerospace industry following his retirement from the military, then became a newspaper columnist.