He served in the United States Army Air Forces as a fighter pilot during World War II, and he became an ace with 14 aerial victories, including 5 in a single day.

McComas graduated from Winfield High School in 1937 and attended Southwestern College and the University of Kansas.

[4] On September 29, 1944, McComas' P-51 Mustang was shot down and he was forced to bail out over China behind enemy lines.

[5] On December 23, McComas and his wingman were flying a reconnaissance mission of a Japanese airfield near Canton, China.

[2][5] The next day, McComas claimed his 14th and final aerial victory of the war, making him one of the top aces of the Fourteenth Air Force.

[5][6] On Christmas Day, the commanding general of the 14th Air Force, Claire Chennault, presented McComas a brand new P-51 Mustang.

[citation needed] On June 22, 1954, Edward O. McComas committed suicide with a firearm in his home in Alexandria, Virginia.