Edward O. McComas was born in 1919 in Winfield, Kansas. After high school graduation in 1937, he attended Southwestern College and the University of Kansas. McComas joined the Air Force as a flying cadet in 1940 and was commissioned in 1941. During World War II, Col. McComas became one of the top-ranking fighter aces of the 14th Air Force in China and flew under the command of General Chennault. He was shot down while on a mission behind enemy lines in China, but rescued by the Chinese Nationalist underground after several weeks. In 1948, he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the following year attended the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He flew missions during the Korean conflict and in 1951 was assigned to the Pentagon where he worked until his death in 1954.
From the description of Edward Otis McComas collection, 1941-1954. (US Air Force Academy). WorldCat record id: 748588991
