Evening star., 1921-08-29
HAS |
ADVENTUROUS LIFE.
American Ace Of Aces Seeks
Racing Career From
Boyhood.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, August 2S.-Six-
teen years ago in a small tombstone
! works here. a gangling youth of If
teen wrestled with mallet and chisel,
learning the art of monument max
| ing. physically on the job. mentally
| behind the steering wheel of a racing
! automobile.
/ That was the first job Capt Edward
v. Rickenbacher. American ace of
aces in the world war. ever held in
his life. He was getting Sc a week.
! Later he gladly accepted job in a
garage. It paid 81 a week.
Racing Driver at Eighteen.
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
racing automobile. He reached his
goal when he was eighteen years of
age. At that time he was sent to
Texas by local automobile concern.
In whose factory he had been work.
ing, to demonstrate its speedsters.
From then on his career was
meteoric. He became one of the best
known automobile racers in the coun-
try.
Rickenbacher entered the world war
as chauffeur to Gen. Pershing. His
rise to American ace of aces was as
sensational as the jump from the OBJ
scurity Of his Columbus home to the
highest pinnacle of racing fame.
Rickenbacher became a part of the
A. E. F. after a series Of rebufis.
When the United States entered the
war he was in England buying racing
cars. He Immediately returned to
this country and offered his services
to plan. Of his to enlist a flying
squadron from among racing drivers
of the countr... but Army officials
turned the pro1.sr down.
A few weeks later Rickenbacf1er
was on his way overseas as chauffeur
arriving abroad ne was in an aviation
training camp. placed there through
the personal Intervention of Gen
Pershing.
Bags First German.
Rickenbacher bagged his first Ger
man early In 1918. Within a month he
had won the croix de kuerre. and
N.SP'A hiS uStdy Gu entrance INTO AVA
ton, he was the second American to
De given the title of ace.
At this juncture he met with an
accident that nearly ended his career
as a flyer.
His ear drums were split as the
e result OF 5000 foot fall which came
after a sins1e-ha anded fight against
three German planes. The tip of
one OF the wings of the plane
Rickenbacher was plotting was car
ried away by hostile Fokker, and
he plunged to earth. He was pro-
nounced fncapaeitated for further
The former racing dryer refused
to be put out OF the running, and
carried his case direct to Gen.
Pershinag: The latter ruled that he
still might fight.
When he became a captain Ricken-
bacher commanded the famous Hat
| In the Ring squadron. His victories
continued to pile up. one after the
other. until he was acclaimed
American ace of aces
Saves Symbolic Mementos. :
Many of the medals and cups won
and conferred upon Rickenbacher
during his career are packed care
fully away in the little frame cottage
here. but there are four things Mrs
Elizabeth Richenbacher. his mother,
values more than anything else.
They are:
A piece of marble chiseled in the
shape Of book, and bearing the
inscription Holy Bible"
A small wooden chest.
A silver cup. embossed with gold.
the championship trophy won by
Riekenbacher In a bitter contest at
Sioux City. Iowa. in July. 1914. when
he drove a Duesenberg car to victory
in S00-mile race on a gumbo dirt
track.
A citation from the French govern
| ment. accompanying the award of the
croix de guerre.
f9ickenbacher cf1ise1ed the; marble
book in his monument-making ap-
prentice days. The wooden chest is a
! n1emento OF short time spent in the
shops OF a railroad here.
His mother values them as SYM
bolic of the steps in her sons life.