James Parton 'Air Force Spoken Here' General Ira Eaker and the Command of the Air

摘要

It was my good fortune to land on General Eaker's staff in England very early in World War II--May 1942. Initially in intelligence, I became his aide and confidant throughout the war and then his friend and associate in many matters during the subsequent years. The closeness of our relationship as well as his gift for cloaking human sentiment with sardonic humor are evident in his reply when I asked him in 1950 if he would be best man at my wedding: 'Jimmy, since you were my aide for almost four years it seems only fair that I should be yours for a few hours'. Thirty-three years later Lt. Gen. John B. McPherson, then president of the Air Force Historical Foundation, of which I am a trustee, surprised me with the suggestion that I write Eaker's biography. Since I had given up the hard and more gregarious duties of a publisher, I was dubious at first. But I agreed because I concluded that Eaker richly deserves a biography both to commemorate his career as a remarkable commander and as America's most articulate spokesman for the responsible use of air power.