The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-08-29
RIcKENBACHER BEGAN
LIFE rs A STONE CUTTER
American Ace OF Aces Had Hard
Time Getting into Air Service
in France

IN france
Columbus, o. Aus, 30 Sixteen
years ago In sInallfombstone works
here, a gangl,ng youth of Is wrestled
with ma let and chisel. learning the
art of monument making, physically
on the job, mentally behind the steer
ing wheel of racing automobile.
That was the first Job Captain V.
Rlckenbacher. American ace of aces
in the World War. ever held in his
fe. He was getting IS week.
Later he gladly accepted Job In a
garage. 1t payed 81 week.
Rickerenbacher was born in 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 GROWING
ambition was to drive racing auto
mobile. He reached his goal when he
was rs years of age. AT that time. he
was sent to Texas by local automo
bile concern. in whose factory he had
been working. to demonstrate its
speedsters.
From then on. his career was me
torie. He became one of the best.
known automobile racers in tho coun.
try
Rickenhacher entered the world
war as chauffeur to General Pershing.
His rise to American ace OF aces was
as sensational as the jump from tho
obscurity Of his Co umbus home TO
the pinnacle of racing fame.
Rickenbacher became part Of the
a. f. f. after a series OF rebutts. When
the Uuited States entered the war. he
was in England buying racing ears.
He Immediately returned to this coun-
try and offered his services. He
tried to get governmental sanction to
plan OF his to enlist flying squadron
from among racing drivers of the
country, but army officials turned the
prefer down.
A few weeks later Rckenbacher
was on his way overseas as chauffer
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.
Rickenbacher bagged his first Ger
man early in 1918. Within month
he had won the Croix de Gucrre, and
despite his 6o-ayed entrance into
aviation, he was the second American
to be 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 re.
suit of 6000.foot fall which came
after single handed fight against
three German planes The tip of one
of the wings of the plane Ricken-
baoher was plotting was carried away
by hostile Fokker and he plunged
to earth He was pronounced inca
pacitated for further service.
The former racing driver refused
to be put out OF the running. and
carried his case direct to General
Pershing. The latter ruled that he
still might fight.
When he became a captain, Ricken.
bacher commanded the famous Hat
in Ring Squadron. His victories
continued to pile up, one after the
can ace OF aces.
other, until he was acclaimed Ameri-
Many of the medals and cups won
and conferred upon Rlckenbacher
during his career are packed care
fully away in the little frame cottage
here, but there are four things Mrs.
Elizabeth Rickenbaoher his mother
values more than anything else. They
are:
| 4 piece Of marble chIseled in the