Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-07
By JOHN KNOX

IL
machines. The chapters you are about
to read are an undying record OF heroic
devotion to duty-~a devotion which at
need went far beyond the mere call Of
DUTY to heights of sacrifice and daring
never exceeded In the long and bloody
annals of war. 1t Is story of men and
boys from our own country. men and
boys like you who read this who with
insufficient equipment and scanty train
ing won the most remarkable series OF
victories in the aerial records OF the
World War They were Americans and
they did the job in the American man.
ner-thoroughly and without regard to
the cost.
The American Ace of Aces.
When Pcrshing's personal car sped
along the roads of France in 1917 it
was guided by smiling young man
whose skill at the wheel was a delight
to watch In the hands OF this young
man an automobile seemed to take on
a personality and performance far be-
You'd anything built into it by its maker
This man was not driver of autOmo-
bilcs incidentally; driving motor vc-
hiclcs to the limit of their performance
was his profession. and he stood at the
top of that profession
Eddy" Rickenbacker of Columbus
Ohio. was a master Of the motor speed
way, who had brought to the war the
thing that he could do best and placed
1t at the service OF the man whose time
vas Of the greatest value~Gen Perish.
ing. Skilled as he was with an auto
mobile, RickcnbaCkerS real ambition
rose above mere chaulicring. even for
such distinguished passenger He
came to France to fly and 1t was not
tct,ry hng IA III t,,}rx 4,
flying school. where his inherent ability
in the air speedily put him at the front
Of the roll of flying students.
The 4th Of March, 1918. saw Ricken-
hacker at Villcncuve to join the newly
organized Oath Squadron. OF which the
famous Maj. Raoul Lufbcry was COM
manding officer. Two days later he
made his first flight over the lines with
Lufbery and Douglas Campbell. making
the acquaintance Of Archie" as the
anti-aircratt guns were called. On this
his maiden fight. his plane was hit
several times by Shrapnel. one piece
Of his body. Fortunately for his peace
Of mind he did rot know how close
death had come To him until he was
safe back at the aird0me
A few days later he saw Capt. Jim
Miller of the squadron take off for the
fight from which he never returned. 1t
was n month later that they learned
that he had been shot down and killed
behind the German lines. On the 30th
OF March the oath moved TO Epicz
where they were joined by James Nor
man Hall and David Mex. Peterson
late Of the Lafayette Flying Corps. with
wh.sh We dealt earlier in this story
The oath and 95th were the first all
American squadrons organized. and
their muster rolls contained goodly
Sprinkling of names from The former
Escadrille Lafayette. fighting under their
own flag at last.
on the morning OF the 18th Of April.
1918. Rickcnbacker. Reed Chambers and
Peterson took of for their first patrol
of the fighting lines from st. Mihiel To
Pont~a- MousSon Rapidly the three
pilots assembled to 10000 feet and few
toward the fighting line. which was Ii
miles from the airdrome. Suddenly
Rickenbackcr saw Peterson. who was IN
command. drop out of the formation
and slide back toward home. DGid:ug
that he was having session with mo-
tor trouble. the noViceS left the veteran
To find his way back and bravsly ven.
forth on theif patrol As they few
they noticed that the weather was
ihickening and when their gas was al
most exhausted and they turned back
for home. they were startled To see that
the whole area back of the American
lines was covered by a dense fog. in
which landing would be practically I'M
possible.
With nowhere else to go. Rickenbacker
and Chambers started to feel their way
through the fog. with little hope of
making safe landing.
tcopyrigh, l3"s nv John r. D,Ilr Coz
Tomorrow Read the story Of wild
air battle III the fog in which the A. f
r. Air Service scored its FIRST two vic
tories Read how the two amateur
pilots succeeded In getting back to their
alrdromc alive.