Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-21
Rickenbacker,
Veteran Ace,
Teaches Boys
Great Aviation Hero
Hell ps Make FIiers
BY DAMON RUNYON

air combat. He now holds the
title of colonel. None of his
friends ever call him Anything
but Eddie or Rick, usually the
latter. He was A m erI cas-
greatest aviator hero in the first
World War nearly % years ago,
a dapper, dashing figure, the
beau-ldeal of a fighting flier.
He was our top ace. officially
credited with bringing down 26
German planes. With him on
the tour for Arnold is Col.
Frank CD. Hunter. another
American ace in the first World
War and a great flier. though
perhaps not as well known to
the public as Rick.
1t is a pat subject they have
given Rick = the psychology of
air combat, for psychology was
his hole card when he was
fighting Won Richtofen's Flying
Circus"
PICK generally figured ex-
actly what the other fellow
was going to do. He rode high,
or at least high for those old
time Jinnys, he Unanswered
carefully and he nearly always
got his man, which was the
main idea.
Rick had extraordinary calm,
according 10 those who served
with him. He once told us. that
his weakness was in gunnery,
which seems improbable in view
of his great record He was
scarcely shooting at random TO
get over two dozen enemy
planes.
We knew him before he went
to France. when he was a driver
of racing automobiles and met
him again at the peak of his
fame. He was enormously
modest and seemed puzzled at
first by the public applause.
One reason for his popularity
was probably that he filled the
eye as a hero. He was tallish,
thin-hipped, and his uniform
fitted him TO perfection. Amer
leans like to have their idols
look the part. A private soldier
cycling the passing Pershing once
remarked to us:
IL don't like a hair of his
head, but I'll say one thing for
him-he's the only general we've
got who looks like a general"
Rick, on his return from
France, appeared to Americans
everything their Imagination had
pictured. He was broke and took
to the lecture platform to make
few dibs out of his fame. He
was almost frightened TO death,
this indomitable gladiator of the
clouds, at the idea of facing an
audience, but he schooled him
self until he became a first-rate
speaker.
WE HELPED him prepare his
W first talk and on the OPEN
ing night we shook backstage in
sympathy with him out there in
front. The audience probably did
not care much what he said. 1t
was too greatly entranced by his
appearance. who's Who" says
Rick was born in 1890, so he
was q when. he went to war and
is 81 now and in pretty good
physical shape considering his
narrow escape from death in an
air liner crash last year.
He went 10 France as a men,
Der of Pershing's motor car staff
with the first contingent of
troops in 1917, and drove the
general for a time. Then, at his
own request, he was transferred
10 the air corps and trained for
some months at Issoudon Field.
He became commander of the
famous Oath Pursuit Squadron,
which was the first American
unit TO participate actively on
the Western Front.
TEilS is the group that had
L Uncle Sans hat in the ring
As itS symbol and il was cred
tied with downing 50 German
planes. the greatest number of
victories of any American unit.
Later Rick was the first COM
manding officer 10 lead his own
squadron into Coblenz with the
army Of occupation. He won all
kinds Of medals, including the
Congressional Medal Of Honor.
He had his own automobile
company after the war. making
the Rickcnbacker car which dis
played his pursuit squadron's
symbol, but when that venture
did not go he joined up with
other auto companies until nc
finally returned to aviation, this
time commercially.
Rick is now president and