The grouping consists of a tan "Ike" pattern jacket with a tailor tag for Paul Snyder of Texas, a gray slacks with no label, matching belt, tan garrison cap with black and gold piping, and a "crusher" style officer cap with a faded San Antonio merchant mark inside the oilcloth inner lining. The jacket features silver bullion "US" lapel patches, shoulder stars (three per shoulder, attached directly to the strap), and pilot's wings over seven rows of individually applied ribbons. The internal breast pocket has a Paul Snyder label signed "Gen Ira C. Eaker/7-3-46", and the ribbons are consistent with the known awards of General Eaker, including a number of his foreign awards like the Knight Commander of the Bath and Order of the British Empire ribbons from Britain, his Croix de Guerre with Palm from France, and others. Born in Texas in 1896, Ira Clarence Eaker joined the U.S. Army in 1917, initially serving as an infantry officer before retraining for aviation post-World War I. In addition to serving in a number of leadership and staff roles between the wars, Eaker would participate in the 22,000 mile Pan American Goodwill Flight in 1926/1927, served as the chief pilot on the record setting six day endurance flight of the Atlantic-Fokker C-2A "Question Mark" (which also served as an early test bed for midair refueling techniques, vital to future long range air patrol and bombing techniques), made the first instrument-only transcontinental flight in 1936, and helped plan the at-sea interception of the SS Rex in 1938. A Colonel in 1941, Eaker was promoted to Brigadier General and dispatched to England shortly after America joined the war to command the Eight Air Force, where he was a major advocate of daylight precision bombing and the use of drop-tank equipped fighter escorts. Later he would serve as Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, Deputy Commander of the Army Air Forces and Chief of the Air Staff. Retiring in 1947, he would serve as a vice president of Hughes Tool Company, Hughes Aircraft, and Douglass Aircraft, as well as a weekly columnist on military affairs, while being inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1970 and receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in 1978. At the time of his retirement he was a Lieutenant General in the Army of the United States and a Major General in the Regular Army, receiving a retired list promotion to Lieutenant General of the then-new U.S. Air Force in 1948 and a honorary promotion to four-star General in 1985. Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection

Very good overall, with mild stains and wear overall, heavier staining and folding/crushing of the cap, and a damaged button and some loose threads on the jacket.