▁con gression al ▁j unk et ▁to ▁Al aska ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁ ▁His ▁leadership ▁was ▁profession ally ▁este emed ▁by ▁prominent ▁Air ▁Force ▁leaders ▁and ▁histor ians , ▁several ▁of ▁whom ▁wrote ▁that ▁but ▁for ▁his ▁early ▁death , ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁ris en ▁to ▁four - star ▁rank . ▁He ▁was ▁exception ally ▁capable ▁of ▁insp iring ▁sub ordinates , ▁and ▁of ▁deleg ating ▁authority , ▁while ▁remaining ▁a ▁firm ▁discipl in arian . ▁Of ▁his ▁decision - making ▁ability , ▁he ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁having ▁quick ▁re actions , ▁sharp ▁responses , ▁and ▁the ▁" cou rage ▁of ▁his ▁conv ict ions ." ▁His ▁friend ▁and ▁" B om ber ▁M af ia " ▁associate , ▁L t . ▁Gen . ▁Harold ▁L . ▁George , ▁wrote : ▁" He ▁had ▁a ▁brilliant ▁mind ... ▁He ▁could ▁grasp ▁instantly , ▁v ex ing ▁details ▁which ▁usually ▁make ▁up ▁difficult ▁problems ▁and , ▁grasp ing ▁them , ▁he ▁had ▁the ▁pr ic eless ▁ability ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁decision . ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁m ull ▁over ▁what ▁to ▁do — h aving ▁studied ▁the ▁problem , ▁having ▁arrived ▁at ▁a ▁decision , ▁he ▁made ▁it ▁at ▁once ." ▁ ▁Fri ends ▁and ▁family ▁noted ▁that ▁Old s , ▁although ▁a ▁" hard - core , ▁never - quit ▁per fection ist ," ▁had ▁out lets ▁for ▁his ▁energ ies ▁besides ▁his ▁work . ▁After ▁inten se ▁problems ▁he ▁would ▁relax ▁by ▁playing ▁squ ash ▁or ▁by ▁doing ▁aer