Measuring 24 inches when closed, the weapon appears to be a conventional officer's swagger stick, with a stitched brown leather covering, opening to reveal a dagger, 19 1/2 inches overall with a 13 1/2 inch double edged blade. The blade is scroll etched, with "COGSWELL & HARRISON Ltd/GUN MAKERS/168.PICADILLY, LONDON, W.I." on one side and "GENERAL I.C. EAKER." on the reverse. Ira C. Eaker was born in 1896, entering U.S. Army service on 1917, starting as an infantry officer and retraining as an aviator following World War One. During the inter-war years, he participated in a 22,000 mile goodwill flight around South America, served as Executive Officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War, set a flight endurance record by spending 6 days airborne in the "Question Mark", a modified Atlantic-Fokker C-2A, and performed the first instrument-only flight from New York to Los Angeles. During World War II, General Eaker was responsible for the organization of VIII Bomber Command (later the Eighth Air Force), which he took command of. In this position, he was an advocate of daylight pinpoint bombing, and personally sold Winston Churchill on the concept of round-the-clock bombing. In late 1943/early 1944, Eaker was made Commander-in-Chief of Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, named Deputy Commander of the Army Air Forces and Chief of the Air Staff in 1945, and finally retiring in 1947. Eaker received two post-retirement promotions in the U.S. Air Force, making Lieutenant General in 1948 and getting his 4th star in 1985, via special legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan.