His autobiography was an attempt to provide financial security for his wife after his death, and during the writing of it he suffered his fifth heart attack in January 1948, hospitalizing him for three months.
Njegov položaj je nasledil Spaatz, ki je postal prvi načelnik Generalštaba Vojnega letalstva ZDA, potem ko se je 18. septembra 1947 osamosvojil USAAF v Vojno letalstvo ZDA.