▁Germany ' s ▁new ▁inter im ▁government ▁to ▁re build ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe ▁within ▁NAT O , ▁eventually ▁rising ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁full ▁general . ▁Stein hoff ▁served ▁as ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff ▁and ▁acting ▁Commander ▁Al lied ▁Air ▁Forces ▁Central ▁Europe ▁( 1 9 6 5 – 1 9 6 6 ), ▁Ins pect or ▁of ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁( 1 9 6 6 – 1 9 7 0 ) ▁and ▁later ▁as ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁NAT O ▁Military ▁Committee ▁( 1 9 7 1 – 1 9 7 4 ). ▁ ▁After ▁ret iring ▁from ▁his ▁NAT O ▁command ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁Stein hoff ▁became ▁a ▁widely ▁read ▁author ▁of ▁books ▁on ▁German ▁military ▁av iation ▁during ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁the ▁experiences ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁people ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁He ▁wrote ▁The ▁Final ▁H ours , ▁which ▁detailed ▁a ▁late - war ▁plot ▁against ▁Hermann ▁G ör ing , ▁and ▁also ▁published ▁a ▁v ivid ▁account ▁of ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁Italy : ▁Mess ersch mitt s ▁over ▁Sic ily : ▁Di ary ▁of ▁a ▁Luft wa ffe ▁F ighter ▁Commander . ▁Stein hoff ▁also ▁became ▁a ▁water color ist , ▁and ▁chairman ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁D orn ier ▁A viation . ▁ ▁Stein hoff ▁received ▁numerous ▁hon ours ▁for ▁his ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁post ▁war ▁German ▁Air ▁Force ▁and ▁the ▁integration ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Federal ▁Ar med ▁Forces ▁into ▁NAT O , ▁including : ▁The ▁Order ▁of ▁Mer it ▁with