Carl Andrew Spaatz

Carl Andrew "Tooey" Spaatz (June 28, 1891 – July 14, 1974) was an American World War II general and the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.

Born as Carl Andrew Spatz, he added the second "a" in 1937 at the request of his wife and daughters to clarify the pronunciation of the name, as many pronounced it "spats".

Carl Andrew Spaatz in Joe Steele
Major Carl Spatz was part of the tribunal that heard the case against Father Coughlin in 1936. He and Captain William Halsey remained silent when the head of the tribunal, Colonel Walter Short asked what the tribunal believed Coughlin's sentence should be. First Lieutenant Nathan Bedford Forrest III, however, voted for Coughlin's execution, which was carried out in short order.

Literary comment
In the short story, Carl Spaatz is not mentioned.