GENERAL IRA C. EAKER - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 08/05/1964 - HFSID 254384

IRA C. EAKER
The Lieutenant Air Force General signed this typed letter in 1964 about the 20th anniversary of the Allied invasion of France.
Typed Letter Signed: "Ira C. Eaker", 1¼p, 8½x11, separate sheets. Washington, D.C., 1964 August 5. To Henry Manson, St. Louis, Missouri. In part: "It may interest you to know that I had the good fortune to be selected by the President [LBJ] as a member of the group who went to France on June 3rd last, in connection with the ceremonies commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Normandy landings. I have also just been advised that since I was the Commanding General of the Air Forces at the invasion of Southern France, August 14, 1944, I have been invited by the French government to participate at Toulon in ceremonies incident to the dedication of a museum, library and memorial, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Southern France…Your senior Senator, Stuart Symington, is a long time friend. I first became acquainted with him when he was our first Secretary for Air, and I was Deputy Commander of the Air Forces in those days…." During WWII, Ira C. Eaker (1896-1987), in his Flying Fortress, the Yankee Doodle, flew many missions over Europe and into Germany. He personally led the first U.S. B-17 bomber strike against German occupation forces in France, the bombing of Rouen, August 17, 1942. In June 1944, after being transferred to the Mediterranean, he flew the first bombing raid from Italy into Germany, landing in the Soviet Union after striking factory and oil installations and other military targets. Lightly creased. Light paper clip stains at upper left blank margin. Stray ¼-inch ink mark at bottom first page. Fine condition.