New Britain herald., 1921-08-29
RICKENBACHER WAS
 ALWAYS A SUCCESS
Americas Ace Sure Had Nerve;
 Life Story Interesting

Columbus, O., Aug. 2S. - Sixteen years ago in a small tombstone works here, a gangling youth of 1 5 wrestled with mallet and chisel, learning the art of monument making, physically on ths job, mentally behind the steer ing wheel of a racing automobile
 That was the first job Captain Ed ward V Rickenbacher, American ace of aces in the World war, ever held in his life. He was getting s6 a week. Later he gladly accepted job in a gadage. It paid $4 a week.
 Rickenbacher was born in a little frame cottage close to the Columbus Driving park. From the days when he was big enough to peer through the fence, the track fascinated him. When automobile racing started, the Driving Park was his mecca. His crowning ambition was to drive a rac- ing automobile. He reached his goal when he was 8 years of age. At that time, he waI sent to Texas by local automobile concern. in whose factory he had been working, to demonstrate its speedsters.
 From then on, his career was meteoric. He became one of the best known automob bile racers in the coun- try.
 Rickenbacher entered the world war a1 chauffeur to General Pershing. His rise to American ace of aces was as sensational as tho jump from the ob- scuritv of his Columbus home to the highest pinnacle of racing fame.
 Ricl:enbacher became part of the A. F.. F., after a series of rebuffs. When the United States entered the war, he was ir England buying racing cars. He imm ediately returned to this country and offered his services. He tried to get governmental sanction to a plan of his to enlist a flying squad ron from among racing drivers of the country, but army officials turned the proffer down.
 A few weeks later Rickenbacher was on his way overseas IS chauffeur to General Pershing. A short time after arriving abroad, he was in an aviation training camp, placed there. through the personal intervention of General Pershing.
 e Rickenbacher bagged his first Ger man early in 1918. Within g month he had won the Croix de Guerre, and despite his delayed entrance into aviation, he was the second Ameri- can to be given the title of ace.
 At this juncture, ho met with an accident that nearly ended his career as q Aver.
 His ear drums were split as the re- suit of a 6000-foot fall which camo after single handed fight against three German planes. The tip of one O, the wings of the plane Ricken- bach.r was piloting was carried away by hostile Fokker. and ha plunged to earth. He was pronounced inca pacitatcd for further service.
 Tho former racing driver refused to be put out of the running, and carried his case direct to General Pershing. The later ruled that ho still might fight.
 When he became a captain. Ricken- bacher commanded tho famous Hat in-the- Ring Squadron. His victories continued to pile up, one after the other. until he was acclaimed Ameri can ace of aces.
 Many of tho medals and cups won and conferred upon Rickenba cher dur ing han career. are packed carefully away in the little frame cottage here, but there, are four things Mrs Eliza beth f:ickenbacher his mother, values more than anything else. They are: A pieco of marble chiseled, in the shape of book. and bearing the in scription Holy Bible.'
 A small wooden chest.
 A silver cup, embossed with gold the championship trophy, won by Rickenbacher in, a bitter contest at Sioux City. Ia., in July. 1914. when ho drove ? Dusenburg car to victory in a 30O-mile race on gumbo dirt track
 A citation from the French govern ment, accompanying the award of the Croix tie Guerre.
 Rickenbacher chiseled the marble book in his monument making ap- prentice days. Tho wooden chest ia a momento of short time spent in the shops of @ railroad here.
 His mother values them as symbolic of tho steps in her sons life.
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