William O. Eareckson

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William Olmstead Eareckson
1900 - October 25, 1966
Nickname	"Eric"
Years of service	f. 1928-1954
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	Battle of the Aleutian Islands
Awards	Navy Cross

Colonel William "Eric" Olmstead Eareckson (1900-October 26, 1966) was an American Army Air Forces combat commander during the Battle of the Aleutian Islands.

Initially unable to qualify as a pilot, Eareckson trained as balloonist. In 1928, the then Lieutenant Eareckson, together with Captain William E. Kepner won the National Balloon Elimination Race and the accompanying Paul W. Litchfield Trophy. It was only two years later, at the relatively advanced age of 30, that Eareckson finally won his airplane pilot wings. In 1939, he was given command of the 36th Bombardment Squadron.

During the Aleutian fighting, Eareckson was famed for his innovative tactics. For example, on August 17, 1942, he used radar equipped B-17s to guide P-38 to shoot down two of three raiding Kawanishi H6K bombers. He also pioneered low level bombing raids to counteract the effects of the poor Aleutian weather.

During the battle of Attu, Eareckson went to the front lines, borrowed a rifle from an infantryman, and entered the fray but was quickly wounded by a Japanese sniper. He was awarded a Purple Heart but castigated by General Buckner for "being where you had no business being".

After the Aleutian campaign was over, Eareckson served on the staff of Admiral Chester Nimitz, who had earlier presented Eareckson with a Navy Cross to complement his DSC, Silver Star and other lesser combat decorations earned in the Aleutians.

Although widely respected as a warrior, Eareckson was viewed as caustic, outspoken and difficult to control. When he retired in 1954, he had been a colonel for 13 years.

Eareckson Air Station, a military airbase located on the island of Shemya in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands, is named after Eareckson.