Eddie Rickenbacker
Eddie Rickenbacker (
October 8,
1890 â€"
July 27,
1973) greatly influenced the U.S. in the
Twentieth Century, first as an
automobile race car driver and
automotive designer, then as a hero of
World War I, and later as a government
consultant in military matters and a pioneer in
air transportation. Rickenbacker participated in many of the most historical events of the Twentieth Century and was known for surviving many serious accidents, his exceptional ambition and personal character, and his service as a
American fighter pilot in
World War I. During his lifetime, Rickenbacker collaborated with some of the most influential civilian and military leaders of the century. He understood his enemy from friendships with former German fighter aces,
Soviet military leaders, and
American politicians. He had keen insight into technology, vision for future improvements, and strong principles and social values. Among other events, he participated in or observed:
* the early development of automobiles and auto racing
*
air combat in
World War I * the founding of the commercial aviation industry
*
Armistice Day on the
Western Front* the
Hindenburg explosion
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was born Edward Rickenbacher in
Columbus, Ohio to German-speaking
Swiss immigrants. From childhood, Eddie Rickenbacker loved machines and experimented with them, encouraged by his father's words "A machine has to have a purpose" (Rickenbacker, 1967, page 28). When Eddie Rickenbacker's father, William Rickenbacher, was killed at a construction site in 1902, young Eddie chose to quit school at age 13 to support his mother and siblings. He turned to trade work, first as a night-shift glazer and then later as a worker in a steel mill.
In what was to become one of the defining characteristics of Eddie Rickenbacker's life, Rickenbacker nearly died many times in his life, from an early run-in with a horse-drawn carriage, to a botched surgery, to airplane crashes. His first experience of thwarting imminent death occurred in 1918 when he noticed himself bleeding to death from an internal surgery wound.
When Rickenbacker first saw an automobile, it immediately caught his imagination; he sought any job that would place him closer to automobiles. Rickenbacker's schooling ended after the death of his father, but, driven by an intense admiration for machines, Rickenbacker taught himself as much as he could, including enrolling in a
correspondence course in
engineering. He aggressively pursued any chance of involvement with cars, and Rickenbacker's time at a
Pennsylvania Railroad machine shop led him into the automobile industry. By 1910, Rickenbacker was racing his employer's cars, and in 1914 he placed 10th in the
Indianapolis race. Touted as the first man to drive a mile a minute, he was sometimes known as "Fast Eddie" (giving rise to a nickname borne by many men named Edward since his time).
Eddie Rickenbacker wanted to join the Allied troops in World War I, but the U.S. had not committed. He had several chance encounters with aviators, including a fortuitous incident where he repaired a stranded aircraft for T.F. Dodd, a man who would become General Pershing's aviation officer and an important contact in Rickenbacker's attempt to join air combat.
Suspected of spying
In 1916, Rickenbacker traveled to
England, with the aim of developing an English car for American races. Because of press inuendo and Rickenbacker's known German heritage, he was suspected of being a spy. En route and in England, agents closely monitored his actions.
Eager to fight
Rickenbacker helped organize an advance group of soldiers to be ready if the United States joined the war. When, in 1917, the
United States declared war on
Germany, Rickenbacker had enlisted in the
U.S. Army and was training in
France with the very first American troops. Rickenbacker arrived in
France on
June 26,
1917 as sergeant first-class and was assigned as staff driver for General
John Pershing.
Learning to fly against all odds
Men chosen for pilot training had degrees from prestigious colleges, and Rickenbacker had to struggle to gain permission to fly. Interested in aviation, Rickenbacker was at a disadvantage because of his perceived lack of qualifications. His lack of formal education contributed to a perception that he was not qualified for air combat.
Because of his prodigious mechanical abilities, Rickenbacker obtained a critical position as engineering officer in a flight-training facility, at
Issoudun, where Rickenbacker practiced flying during his free time. He flew
Nieuport 28 and
SPAD XIII aircraft. He learned to fly well, but because his skills were badly needed at the training facility, Rickenbacker's superiors tried to prevent him from attaining his wings with the other pilots.
94th Aero Pursuit Squadron
Rickenbacker demonstrated that he had a qualified replacement, and the military awarded Rickenbacker a place with the United States' first squadron ever in air combat, the
94th Aero Pursuit Squadron, informally known as the Hat-in-the-Ring Squadron. He flew rudimentary aircraft, sometimes entirely lacking in weaponry, alongside French pilots. The 94th periodically faced Germany's legendary
Flying Circus, led by the
Red Baron,
von Richthofen until his death in combat. On
April 29,
1918, Rickenbacker shot down his first plane. During WWI, Rickenbacker and the other pilots developed important aviation principles that would serve them in civil aviation and in WWII combat.
Airborne victories
 |
Eddie Rickenbacker |
Respect for him grew as his successes mounted. Rickenbacker won the French
Croix de Guerre in May 1918 by shooting down five
German airplanes. On
September 24,
1918, now a captain, he was named commander of the squadron, and on the following day, he shot down two more German planes, for which he was belatedly awarded the
Medal of Honor in
1931. Rickenbacker's 26 victories constituted an American record that stood until
World War II. The military determined
ace status was given by counting the number of aircraft shot down by a pilot and verifying reports with ground witnesses and the affirmation of other pilots. If no witnesses could be found, a reported kill was not counted. In 1969, the U.S. Air Force released Historical Study 133. This study converted the whole victory credits awarded into fractions, to show which credits were shared and to calculate the number of enemy aircraft actually covered by the credits. This was more in line with the criteria the Americans applied in World War II, but it did not reflect the actual credits awarded. Confusion resulted, because researchers using Historical Study 133 would sometimes add the fractions of flyers to get their aerial victory credit totals. His official score of 26 still stands, which can be seen at the
USAF Historical Research Agency. While the US Air Service credited "out of control" and other nonfatal victories, in terms of aircraft destroyed, Rickenbacker's tally was six airplanes and three balloons in the air plus two balloons on the ground. (Several other Americans were credited with more enemy aircraft destroyed but fewer victories, including
Frank Luke,
Raoul Lufbery who flew with the French, and Frederick Gilette and Harold Kullburg of the RAF.) Nevertheless, Rickenbacker flew a total of 300 combat hours, reportedly more than any other U.S. pilot in the war.
The most successful American ace left alive, the press dubbed him America's "Ace of Aces." He claimed his 26th and final plane on
October 30,
1918, 12 days before the end of the war.
Historic view of armistice
When Rickenbacker learned of the Armistice, he flew an airplane above the western front to observe the cease fire and the displays of joy and comradeship as the formerly warring troops crossed the front lines and joined in celebration.
Personal account of war events, more fame
After World War I ended, Eddie was approached for publicity exploits. He chose to go on a LibertyBond Tour, but declined to use his renown for more celebrity or personal gain. Rickenbacker described his WWI flying experiences in his memoirs,
Fighting the Flying Circus. published after the war. In this book, he also describes the character, exploits and death of fellow pilot Lt.
Quentin Roosevelt, the son of American President
Theodore Roosevelt. ''Fighting the Flying Circus is now in the
public domain and the text is available online. [
1].
Rickenbacker expressed strong patriotism, beginning in childhood. Realising that his German name appeared to undermine his credibility as a fully American citizen, Rickenbacker changed the spelling of his name while in France in WWI. He professed a strong Christian faith (though he was not accustomed to sharing it until after his experience of being stranded on the Pacific Ocean for 24 days in 1942), and urged honest dealings, corporate and personal. Eddie Rickenbacker promoted technology and innovation and predicted many events that eventually came to pass, such as the prevalence of
air transportation, and the critical role an air combat division would play in future wars. Many of his ideas that eventually occurred were met with scepticism or outright disbelief when he expressed them.
Rickenbacker was also adamantly opposed to
Franklin Roosevelt's
New Deal policies, seeing them as little better than socialism. For this he drew criticism and ire from the press and the Roosevelt Administration, which ordered
NBC Radio not to allow him to broadcast opinions critical of FDR's policies after Rickenbacker harshly denounced FDR's use of Air Force pilots to carry Air Mail; the primary reason for the denunciation was that several of the pilots died in crashes while carrying the mail.
In 1922, Rickenbacker married Adelaide Frost; their marriage lasted for the rest of his life. Although they spent considerable time in Florida, Texas, and Ohio, the Rickenbackers lived chiefly in New York City. They adopted two sons: David, in
1925, and William, in
1928. Adelaide represented an unconventional wife for the era; she was five years older than her husband, had previously married, and was outspoken and active; as independent as she was, Adelaide fully supported Rickenbacker's endeavors until his death in 1973. In 1977, Adelaide committed suicide.
Rickenbacker automobile designs
Still interested in machines, Rickenbacker started an
automobile company (see:
Rickenbacker), selling technologically advanced cars based on innovations discovered in automobile racing. The Rickenbacker came equipped with the first four-wheel brake system. Probably due to the resistance to this idea probagated by other car manufacturers who had inventory lacking four-wheel braking systems, Rickenbacker's car company was financially unsuccessful. He went into massive debt because of company losses, and determined to pay back everything he owed. Eventually, all vehicles manufactured in the U.S. incorporated four-wheel braking.
In 1927, Rickenbacker bought the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which he would operate for nearly a decade and a half before closing it down due to World War II. Rickenbacker oversaw many improvements of the facility, such as banking the curves to enable better and safer turning. In 1945, Rickenbacker sold the Speedway to
Terre Haute, Indiana businessman
Anton Hulman, Jr..
Once the Speedway operations were under control, Rickenbacker looked for additional opportunities for entrepreneurship, including sales for the
Cadillac division of
General Motors and various aircraft manufacturers and airlines.
Eastern Air Lines
Rickenbacker's most lasting business endeavor was his lifelong leadership of
Eastern Air Lines. With the help of friends he had met in the war, or in car racing, or in other walks of life, Eddie Rickenbacker combined Eastern Air Transport with Florida Airways to form
Eastern Air Lines, an airline that would grow from a company flying a few thousand air miles per week to a major international transportation company.
Rickenbacker oversaw many radical changes in the field of commercial aviation. He negotiated with the U.S. government to acquire
air mail routes, a great advantage to companies in need of business. He helped develop and support new aircraft designs. Rickenbacker acquired historic aircraft for Eastern, including the
Lockheed Constellation commissioned by
Howard Hughes for
Trans World Airlines (Rickenbacker, 1967, 440). Rickenbacker personally collaborated with many of the pioneers of aviation, including
Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., founder of the
Douglas Aircraft Company that would become
McDonnell Douglas.
He helped convince the American public to consider flying; but, always aware of the possibility of accidents, Rickenbacker avoided calling the new method of transportation "safe." In his autobiography, he wrote "I have never liked to use the word "safe" in connection with either Eastern Air Lines or the entire transportation field; I prefer the word "reliable."" (Rickenbacker, 1967, page 261).
Surviving a fatal crash
Rickenbacker often traveled for business on Eastern Airlines flights, and on February 26, 1941, a
DC-3 flying Eddie Rickenbacker and other passengers crashed outside
Atlanta. Rickenbacker suffered grave injuries, was soaked in fuel, and was immobile and trapped in the wreckage. In spite of his own critical wounds, Rickenbacker encouraged the uninjured passengers, offered what consolation he could to those around him who were injured or dying, and guided the still-mobile survivors to attempt to find help. They were rescued after spending the night at the crash site. Rickenbacker barely survived, and this was the first time the press announced his death while he was still alive.
In a dramatic retelling of the incident, Rickenbacker's autobiography relates his astonishing experiences: while still conscious but in terrible pain, Rickenbacker was left behind while ambulances transported bodies of those killed in the accident. When he arrived at a hospital, his injuries appeared so grotesque that doctors left him for dead for some time, instructing staff to "take care of the live ones." (Rickenbacker, 275) Rickenbacker's injuries included a dented skull, other head injuries, shattered left elbow and crushed nerve, paralyzed left hand, several broken ribs, a crushed hip socket, twice-broken pelvis, severed nerve in his left hip, and a broken left knee. Most shocking, his left eyeball was expelled from the socket. (Rickenbacker, 273) He recovered from these after months in the hospital, and regained full eyesight.
Rickenbacker describes the experience with vivid accounts of his mentality as he approached death, emphasizing the supreme act of will necessary to stave it off. His autobiography reported that he spent ten days on the brink of death, which he illustrated as an overwhelming sensation of calm and pleasure (Rickenbacker, 1967, 278).
Airline outcome
For a time, Eastern was the most profitable airline in the post-war era. In the late 1950s, Eastern's fortunes changed, and Rickenbacker was forced out of his CEO position on
October 1,
1959. He left his position as chairman of the board
December 31,
1963.
Rickenbacker supported the war effort as a civilian. In 1942, he toured training bases in the southwestern United States and in England. He encouraged the American public to contribute their time and resources to success in WWII, and pledged Eastern Airlines equipment and personnel for use in military activities.
Rickenbacker served the military extensively, inspecting troops, operations, and equipment, and serving in a publicity function to increase support from civilians and soldiers. In 1942, with a sweeping letter of authorization from
Henry L. Stimson, U.S. Secretary of War, Rickenbacker visited England on an official war mission and made ground-breaking recommendations for better war operations.
Adrift at sea
One of Rickenbacker's most famous near-death experiences occurred during the service of the United States war effort. In October 1942, Rickenbacker was sent on a tour of the Pacific theater to review conditions, operations, and to personally deliver a secret message to
General MacArthur. After visiting bases in
Hawaii, the
B-17 in which he was flying went off course hundreds of miles from its first scheduled stop at
Canton Island. The airplane had flown in an undetected
tailwind, which carried them faster than they knew and rendered their calculations ineffective. This accident later resulted in improved
navigation tools for aircraft, and improved
survival gear provided on aircraft. The pilot ditched the plane in the
Pacific, dangerously close to Japanese-held enemy territory.
For 24 days, the Rickenbacker, his friend and business partner, and the crew drifted at sea without food or water aside from an occasional fish and rain. Rickenbacker still suffered from the airline crash, his friend Hans Adamson sustained serious injuries in the water landing, and others in the crew were hurt to varying degrees. The crew's food supply ran out after three days. On Day 8 a seagull landed on Rickenbacker's head. Rickenbacker painstakingly caught it, and the survivors meticulously divided it equally and used some for fishing bait. They lived on sporadic rain water and similar food "miracles." Rickenbacker assumed a role of leadership, encouragement, and browbeating to help the others survive, and encouraged them to turn to
God for solace. According to Rickenbacker, each person on the rafts converted to
Christianity after the experience. The
Army Air Corps, unable to find them, intended to abandon the lost crew after searching unsuccessfully for more than two weeks, but Rickenbacker's wife convinced them to extend the search another week. Once again, the press reported that Rickenbacker had died.
Navy pilots rescued the surviving members of the crew, suffering from
exposure,
dehydration and
starvation, on
November 13,
1942. One serviceman had died and was buried at sea. Rickenbacker completed his assignment and delivered MacArthur's secret message. No one ever made the message public.
It should be noted that Rickenbacker initially thought that he had been lost a mere 21 days, and wrote thus in a book about the experience published by
Doubleday. It was not until later that he recalculated and corrected the error in his 1967 autobiography.
Still determined to support the U.S. war effort, Rickenbacker suggested a fact-finding mission in Russia to provide them with needed technical assistance for their American aircraft. His private objective was to gain knowledge about ever-more hostile
Soviet military capabilities.
Gaining permission to enter Russia
Rickenbacker approached Soviet diplomats, and avoided requesting help from President
Franklin Roosevelt, alluding to personal disagreements between the two. With the help of the
Secretary of War and by trading favors with the Soviet amassador, Rickenbacker secured unlikely permission to travel to the Soviet Union.
The
War Department provided everything Rickenbacker needed, including a highly unusual letter stating that the bearer was authorized to "visit ... any ... areas he may deem necessary for such purposes as he will explain to you in person," signed by the
Secretary of War (Rickenbacker, 1967, 390).
55,000 mile side-trip around the world
Rickenbacker's trip took him over South America, where he made important observations about conditions there; he stopped in
Africa,
China, and
India, at each stop reviewing American operations and making notes to report to authorities. In
Iran, Rickenbacker offered to bring along an American officer, whose unapproved request to travel to Russia delayed Rickenbacker's party for a few days.
Russian information-gathering
In Russia, Rickenbacker observed wartime conditions, extraordinary dedication and patriotism by the populace, and ruthless denial of goods and services to unproductive members of society. He befriended many Soviet officials, and shared his knowledge of the aircraft they had received from the United States. He was lavishly entertained and recalled attempts by [KGB] agents and officials to intoxicate him and gain sensitive information. Rickenbacker's mission was successful. He discovered that a commander of Moscow's defense had stayed at Rickenbacker's home in 1937, and personal connections like this and the respect the Soviet military personnel had for Rickenbacker greatly improved Rickenbacker's effectiveness at information-gathering. When he left Russia, Rickenbacker understood Soviet defense strategies and capabilities, knew about brand-new strategies against advancing tank battalions, and had memorized a map of the Soviet's front line showing standard military location markers for all major units. (Rickenbacker, 1967, 422). He was also provided with unprecedented access to the
Stormovik aircraft factory.
Rickenbacker predicted that the
Soviet Union's practices favored
capitalism and that it would become a capitalist nation (Rickenbacker, 1967, 425)
Reception
Winston Churchill interviewed Rickenbacker about his mission. In the U.S., Rickenbacker's information resulted in some diplomatic and military action, but President
Roosevelt ignored the information and did not meet with Rickenbacker about his groundbreaking visit to the U.S.S.R. (Rickenbacker, 1967, 438).
In the
1960s, Rickenbacker became a well-known speaker. He died in
1973 in
Zürich,
Switzerland. He shared his vision for the future of technology and commerce, exhorted Americans to respect the enemy (
the Soviet Union) during the
Cold War, yet uphold American values, and endorsed conservative ideals.
After retiring from Eastern Air Lines, Adelaide and Eddie Rickenbacker traveled extensively, until Eddie Rickenbacker had a stroke while in Switzerland seeking medical treatment for Adelaide there and his body was buried in
Columbus, Ohio at
Greenlawn Cemetery.
In
1974, the Lockbourne Air Force Base in his home town of Columbus was renamed
Rickenbacker Air Force Base.
*He was inducted in the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992.
*He was inducted in the
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992.
*Rickenbacker was inducted in the
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994.
Fighting The Flying Circus (Wings of War) (1919)
Seven Came Through (1943)
*[
2]
Rickenbacker: an Autobiography. Edward V. Rickenbacker. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1967.
*
The Rickenbacker Papers at Auburn University*
Biography for Aviation History magazine*
Entry from Webster's American Military Biographies*
Owners of the Rickenbacker collection*
Eddie Rickenbacker's Grave at Greenlawn Cemetery
