Ira Eaker was born on April 13, 1896, in Field Creek, Texas. He was appointed a 2d Lt of Infantry in the U.S. Army in early 1917, and was assigned to the 64th Infantry at El Paso, Texas, until March 1918, when he joined the Aviation Section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps to attend pilot training. Lt Eaker was rated a pilot in October 1918 and was assigned to Rockwell Field, California, from October 1918 to July 1919, followed by service in the Philippines until September 1921. His next assignment was as commander of the 5th Aero Squadron and then post adjutant at Mitchel Field, New York, from January 1922 to June 1924, and then as an executive assistant in the Office of the Air Service in Washington, D.C., until December 1926. From December 1926 to May 1927, Eaker served as a pilot of one of the airplanes on the Pan American Flight around South America. He was an executive officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War in Washington, D.C., from May to September 1927, and then served as operations and maintenance officer at Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., until October 1934. During this time he served as chief pilot on the refueling endurance flight of the "Question Mark", from January 1 to 7, 1929, and later in 1930 he made the first transcontinental flight with in-flight refueling. Col Eaker served as commander of the 34th and then the 17th Pursuit Squadron at March Field, California, from October 1934 to August 1935, followed by Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Alabama, from August 1935 to June 1936. He next attended Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, from June 1936 to June 1937, and then served as assistant chief of the Information Division in the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps in Washington, D.C., until November 1940. Gen Eaker served as commander of the 20th Pursuit Group at Hamilton Field, California, from November 1940 to January 1942, and then organized the VIII Bomber Command in England. He took command of 8th Air Force in England in December 1942, and then served as commander in chief of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces from January 1944 to April 1945. Gen Eaker's final assignment was as deputy commander of the Army Air Forces and chief of the Air Staff from April 1945 until his retirement on September 1, 1947. He was promoted to Lieutenant General (O-9) on the retired list on June 29, 1948, and to General (O-10) on April 26, 1985. Gen Eaker wore Command Pilot Wings and accumulated over 12,000 flying hours during his military career. Ira Eaker died on August 6, 1987, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.