In the years I worked at Headquarters, U S European Command(HQ USEUCOM), I met a lot of folks who had been or would be famous for one reason or another. Some of the people I worked with should have been famous; there were some real heroes in the mix there. I even had the chance to spend some time with ADM Ruge, a well known figure in German military history. Another figure from US military history that I met was General Ira Eaker. Although I only had one afternoon with him, it was an honor to be there. But I fear that many folks have no idea who he was.
Gen Eaker began his career as an infantry officer in WWI. He became a pilot in October of 1918 and was one of the pioneers of military aviation for the next thirty years. He was the first Commander of the Eighth Air Force in England and personally participated in the first B-17 mission over France against German positions. He moved to the Med where he commanded three Air Forces and continued to serve until he retired from the Air Force in 1947.
Between the wars, he worked on a number of innovations: for instance, he was the first to fly across the USA on instruments only. He was always interested in coming up with ways to extend flying time. He was part of a team that flew float planes on a 22,000-mile flight and "show the flag" trip around South America. He was very proud of having been in on the first air-to-air refueling. The aviation record books show that they flew loops from San Diego to Los Angeles for more than 150 hours, refueling with a garden hose lowered from another plane that flew over them. Gen Eaker told me that there were a number of different refueling ideas prior to that. He participated in the first actual air-to-air refueling when he flew his bi-plane next to another bi-plane while their co-pilots walked out on the wings and handed a five-gallon gas can from one plane to the other. He laughed and said you wouldn't find that stunt in any record books.
His visit to the headquarters was not very long, so my time with him was limited. But like all old men, he enjoyed a willing audience for his tales and I was more than just willing. He thanked me for listening to him...he thanked me! A man who blazed a trail for aviators to follow for generations to come, a man whose vision of daylight precision bombing of German industry was instrumental in bringing a successful finish to the war, a man who had the courage to fly across the USA with his head covered by a hood, using only the primitive instruments of 1936 to guide himself(except for landings and takeoffs), this absolute hero thanked me for listening to his "ramblings"....
If you are ever bored with all the derring-do of the current crop of "heroes" that fill your bookshelf, I recommend Gen Eaker's book, "Air Force Spoken Here"...it is a great read from a truly great man.