Eaker Cup donated

Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., Eighth Air Force commander and two former Eighth Air Force commanders, Lt. Gen. (ret.) E.G. "Buck" Shuler Jr. and Lt. Gen. (ret.) Edgar S. Harris Jr. examine some of the mementoes of the World War II service of Lt. Col. (ret.) Charles Jones Sr., with Mr. Charles Jones Jr., who also served during World War II. Col. Jones was one of the original members of the famous Castle Coombe Mess, established by Gen. Ira C. Eaker, who first commanded Eighth Air Force in England during World War II. General Eaker purchased the bowl and cups with the optimistic vision of conducting post-war reunions with the members of the Mess. Postwar reunions of General Eaker’s closest wartime teammates grew to be around 50 officers, collectively known as the Castle Coombe Group, which included another famous World War II leader, General Carl “Tooey” Spaatz. General Eaker donated the bowl, ladle, and his cup to Eighth Air Force, which was accepted by General Harris, as Eighth Air Force commander, on April, 28 1981. The Eaker Bowl is a physical piece of the Mighty Eighth’s history which occupies a place of honor at Eighth Air Force headquarters as a heraldic symbol of sterling service to the nation, comradeship, and optimism about the future by those who have served with The Mighty Eighth. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Capt. Rob Goza)