Orval R . Cook Orval Ray Cook ( July 27 , 1898 – March 18 , 1980 ) was a United States Air Force four - star general who served as Deputy Commander in Chief , United States European Command ( DCINCEUR ) from 1954 to 1956 . Biography . Cook was born in 1898 in West Union , Indiana . He graduated from the United States Military Academy on June 13 , 1922 and was commissioned a second lieutenant of Air Service . Entering Primary Flying School at Brooks Field , Texas , Cook graduated from Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field , Texas in January 1924 and remained there as an instructor . That August he joined the Third Pursuit Squadron at Clark Field in the Philippines , returning to Brooks Field in September 1926 as assistant engineering officer and flying instructor at the Primary Flying School . Entering the Air Corps Engineering School at Wright Field , Ohio in June 1929 , Cook graduated a year later and was assigned to the Aircraft Branch at Materiel Division Headquarters there . He became an instructor at the U . S . Military Academy in June 1934 , graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field , Alabama , four years later , and from the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , in June 1939 . Reassigned to the Materiel Center at Wright Field , Cook served with the Engineering Section of the Production Division becoming chief of the section in April 1942 . That November he was named district supervisor of the Eastern Procurement District at New York City , and the following May returned to Wright Field as chief of the Production Division . Ordered to the Southwest Pacific in June 1945 , General Cook joined the Far East Air Forces on Okinawa where he established an Air Force Depot and directed Air Force supply and maintenance activities in that area . After cessation of hostilities he was sent to Japan to establish an Air Depot and to assume command of the Seventh Air Service Area Command . Going to Manila in January 1946 , he assumed command of the Far East Air Service Command ( later redesignated the Pacific Air Service Command ) . Assigned to the War Department General Staff , Washington , D . C . , in June 1946 , Cook became deputy director of the Service , Supply and Procurement Division ( later redesignated the Logistics Division ) . Returning to Wright - Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio in July 1948 , he was named deputy director of Procurement and Industrial Mobilization Planning , Air Materiel Command , becoming deputy to the commanding general for operations a few weeks later , and director of procurement and industrial planning , Air Materiel Command , in September 1949 . Assigned to the Air Staff in July 1951 as Deputy Chief of Staff for Material and promoted to Lt . General . In this capacity he had responsibility for all USAF industrial planning and procurement matters . He was deeply involved in the acquisition of the B - 47 and B - 52 Joining the United States European Command on April 1 , 1954 , Cook was deputy commander in chief , with Headquarters at Frankfurt , Germany , moving to Paris , France May 3 , 1954 . Cook retired from the Air Force on June 1 , 1956 , and died on March 18 , 1980 at his home in Falls Church , VA . His decorations included the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and Legion of Merit . He was rated a command pilot , combat observer and aircraft observer . Orval Cook married Minna Edwards on September 11 , 1925 , in Manila , Philippines . After her death on November 5 , 1988 , Minna was buried beside her husband at Arlington National Cemetery . References . http : / / www . findagrave . com / cgi - bin / fg . cgi ? page = gr & GSsp = 47162573 & GRid = 47210383 &