Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker ( October 8 , 1890 – July 23 , 1973 ) was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient . With 26 aerial victories , he was America ' s most successful fighter ace in the war . He was also a race car driver and automotive designer , a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation , particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines . Early life . He was born Edward Rickenbacher ( without a middle name ) in Columbus , Ohio to German - speaking Swiss immigrants . From childhood , he loved machines and experimented with them , encouraged by his father ' s words : " A machine has to have a purpose " . In what was to become one of the defining characteristics of Rickenbacker ' s life , he nearly died many times in events ranging from an early run - in with a horse - drawn carriage , to a botched tonsillectomy , to airplane crashes . His first life - threatening experience occurred when he was in the " Horsehead Gang " . He lived near a mine , and they decided to ride a cart down the slope . It tipped over and almost crushed them . According to Rickenbacker ' s autobiography , at age thirteen , his schooling ended in grade seven after the accidental death of his father on August 26 , 1904 . However , according to " Eddie Rickenbacker : An American Hero in the Twentieth Century " , by W . David Lewis , his father died after an altercation with another man in Columbus . Rickenbacker found jobs to help support the family , but driven by an intense admiration for machines , Rickenbacker taught himself as much as he could , including enrolling in a correspondence course in engineering . He aggressively pursued any chance of involvement with automobiles . Rickenbacker went to work at the Columbus Buggy Company , eventually becoming a salesman . Rickenbacker became well known as a race car driver , competing in the Indianapolis 500 four times before World War I , and earning the nickname " Fast Eddie " . Rickenbacker joined the Maxwell Race Team in 1915 after leaving Peugeot . After the Maxwell team disbanded that same year , he joined the Prest - O - Lite team as manager and continued to race improved Maxwells for Prest - O - Lite . World War I . Pre - US entry . Rickenbacker wanted to join the Allied troops in World War I , but the US had not yet entered the war . He had several chance encounters with aviators , including a fortuitous incident in which he repaired a stranded aircraft for Townsend F . Dodd , a man who later became General John J . Pershing ' s aviation officer and an important contact in Rickenbacker ' s attempt to join air combat . During World War I , with its anti - German atmosphere , he — like many other German Americans — changed his surname ; the " h " in " Rickenbacher " became a " k " in an effort to " take the Hun out of his name . " As he was already well known at the time , the change received wide publicity . " From then on " , as he wrote in his autobiography , " most Rickenbachers were practically forced to spell their name in the way I had . . . " He believed his given name " looked a little plain . " He signed his name 26 times , with a different middle initial each time . After settling upon " V " , he selected " Vernon " as a middle name . In 1916 , Rickenbacker traveled to London , with the aim of developing an English car for American races . Because of an erroneous press story and Rickenbacker ' s known Swiss heritage , he was suspected of being a spy . En route and in England , agents closely monitored his actions . On a sea voyage back to America , he came up with the idea to recruit his race car driver friends as fighter pilots , on the theory that such men were accustomed to tight spaces and high speeds . His suggestion was ignored by the military . Army service . When , in 1917 , the United States declared war on Germany , Rickenbacker had enlisted in the United States Army and was soon training in France with some of the first American troops . He arrived in France on June 26 , 1917 as a Sergeant First Class . Most men chosen for pilot training had college degrees and Rickenbacker had to struggle to gain permission to fly because of his perceived lack of academic qualifications . Because of his mechanical abilities , Rickenbacker was assigned as engineering officer at the 3rd Aviation Instruction Center at Issoudun , the US Air Service ' s pursuit training facility , where he practiced flying during his free time . He learned to fly well , but because his skills were so highly valued , Rickenbacker ' s superiors tried to prevent him from attaining his wings with the other pilots . Rickenbacker demonstrated that he had a qualified replacement , and the military awarded him a place in one of America ' s air combat units , the 94th Aero Squadron , informally known as the " Hat - in - the - Ring " Squadron after its insignia . Originally he flew the Nieuport 28 , at first without armament . On April 29 , 1918 , Rickenbacker shot down his first plane . On May 28 , he claimed his fifth to become an ace . Rickenbacker was awarded the French Croix de Guerre that month for his five victories . On May 30 , he scored his sixth victory . It would be his last for three and a half months . He developed an ear infection in July which almost ended his flying career and grounded him for several weeks . He shot down Germany ' s hottest new fighter , the Fokker D . VII , on September 14 and another the next day . On September 24 , 1918 , now a captain , he was named commander of the squadron , and on the following day , he claimed two more German planes , for which he was belatedly awarded the Medal of Honor in 1931 by President Herbert Hoover . After claiming yet another Fokker D . VII on September 27 , he became a balloon buster by downing observation balloons on September 28 , October 1 , October 27 , and October 30 , 1918 . Thirteen more wins followed in October , bringing his total to thirteen Fokker D . VIIs , four other German fighters , five highly defended observation balloons , and only four of the easier two - seated reconnaissance planes . The military determined ace status by verifying combat claims by a pilot , but confirmation , too , was needed from ground witnesses , affirmations of other pilots , or observation of the wreckage of the opposing enemy aircraft . If no witnesses could be found , a reported kill was not counted . It was an imperfect system , dependent on the frailties of human observation , as well as vagaries of weather and terrain . Most aces ' records are thus ' best estimates ' , not ' exact counts ' . Nevertheless , Rickenbacker ' s 26 victories remained the American record until World War II . Rickenbacker flew a total of 300 combat hours , reportedly more than any other US pilot in the war . When Rickenbacker learned of the Armistice , he flew an airplane above the western front to observe the ceasefire and the displays of joy and comradeship , as the formerly warring troops crossed the front lines and joined in the celebrations . Between the wars . After World War I ended , Rickenbacker was approached several times about exploiting his fame . He chose to go on a Liberty bond tour . He was offered many movie positions , but did not want all the attention , even though he was the most celebrated aviator in America ( soon to be supplanted by Charles Lindbergh after his solo flight across the Atlantic ) . Rickenbacker described his World War I flying experiences in his memoirs , " Fighting the Flying Circus " , published after the war . In this book , he also describes the character , exploits , and death of fellow pilot Lt . Quentin Roosevelt , the son of US President Theodore Roosevelt . Rickenbacker also continued to associate with Reed Chambers , with whom he had served in World War I ; they jointly founded an airline . In 1925 , Rickenbacker was a defense witness , along with Hap Arnold , Tooey Spaatz , Ira Eaker , and Fiorello H . La Guardia , in the court - martial of General Billy Mitchell . Marriage . In 1922 , Rickenbacker married Adelaide Frost Durant ; their marriage lasted for the rest of his life . Although they spent considerable time in Florida , Texas and Ohio , the Rickenbackers lived chiefly in New York City . They adopted two boys : David Edward in 1925 , and William Frost in 1928 . Adelaide was an unconventional wife for the times : she was five years older than her husband , had been previously married , and was outspoken and active . As independent as she was , Adelaide fully supported Rickenbacker ' s endeavors until his death in 1973 . Rickenbacker automobile . He started the Rickenbacker Motor Company in 1920 , selling technologically advanced cars incorporating innovations from automobile racing . The Rickenbacker came equipped with the first four - wheel brake system . Probably due to bad publicity from the other car manufacturers , who feared they would be unable to sell their inventory of cars with two - wheel braking , the company had trouble selling its cars and eventually went bankrupt in 1927 . Rickenbacker went into massive debt , but was determined to pay back all of the $ 250 , 000 he owed , despite personally going bankrupt ( and therefore no longer being legally obligated to do so ) . Eventually , all vehicles manufactured in the US incorporated four - wheel braking . The Indianapolis Motor Speedway . On November 1 , 1927 , Rickenbacker bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , which he operated for nearly a decade and a half , overseeing many improvements to the facility . Once the Speedway operations were under control , Rickenbacker looked for additional opportunities for entrepreneurship , including in sales for the Cadillac division of General Motors , and for various aircraft manufacturers and airlines . After the race in 1941 , Rickenbacker closed the Speedway due to World War II . Among other things , holding the race would have been a waste of valuable gasoline and other fuels . In 1945 , Rickenbacker sold the racetrack to the businessman Anton Hulman , Jr . Clashes with President Roosevelt . Rickenbacker was adamantly opposed to President Franklin Roosevelt ' s New Deal policies , seeing them as little better than socialism . For this , he drew criticism and ire from the press and the Roosevelt administration , which ordered NBC Radio not to allow him to broadcast opinions critical of Roosevelt ' s policies after Rickenbacker had harshly denounced the president ' s decision to rescind existing mail contracts in 1934 and have Army Air Corps pilots carry the air mail . At the time , Rickenbacker was vice president of one of the companies affected , Eastern Air Transport . When a number of inexperienced , undertrained army pilots were killed in crashes soon afterward , Rickenbacker stated , " That ' s legalized murder ! " Eastern Air Lines . Rickenbacker ' s most lasting business endeavor was his longtime leadership of Eastern Air Lines . Through the 1920s , he had worked with and for General Motors ( GM ) : first as the California distributor for its new car , the short - lived Sheridan , then later as a marketer for the LaSalle , and finally as vice president of sales for their affiliate , Fokker Aircraft Company . He persuaded GM to purchase North American Aviation , a conglomerate whose assets included Eastern Air Transport . GM asked him to manage Eastern , beginning in 1935 . With the help of some friends , Rickenbacker merged Eastern Air Transport and Florida Airways to form Eastern Air Lines , an airline that eventually grew from a company flying a few thousand miles per week into a major airline . In April 1938 , after learning that GM was considering selling Eastern to John D . Hertz , Rickenbacker met with GM ' s Chairman of the Board , Alfred P . Sloan , and bought the company for $ 3 . 5 million . Rickenbacker oversaw many radical changes in the field of commercial aviation . He negotiated with the US government to acquire air mail routes , a great advantage to companies in need of business . He helped develop and support new aircraft designs . Rickenbacker bought the new , large , faster airliners for Eastern Air Lines , including the four - engined Lockheed Constellation and Douglas DC - 4 . Rickenbacker personally collaborated with many of the pioneers of aviation , including Donald W . Douglas , the founder of the Douglas Aircraft Company , and the designer and builder of the large , four - engined airliners , the DC - 4 , DC - 6 , DC - 7 , and DC - 8 ( its first jet airliner ) . Rickenbacker promoted flying to the American public , but , always aware of the possibility of accidents , he wrote in his autobiography , " I have never liked to use the word " safe " in connection with either Eastern Air Lines or the entire transportation field ; I prefer the word ' reliable ' . " Rickenbacker ' s near - fatal airline crash . Rickenbacker often traveled for business on Eastern Air Lines flights . On February 26 , 1941 , he was a passenger on a Douglas DC - 3 airliner that crashed just outside of Atlanta , Georgia . Rickenbacker suffered especially grave injuries , being soaked in fuel , immobile , and trapped in the wreckage . In spite of his own critical wounds , Rickenbacker encouraged the other passengers , offered what consolation he could to those around him who were injured or dying , and guided the survivors who were still ambulatory to attempt to find help . The survivors were rescued after spending the night at the crash site . Rickenbacker barely survived . This was just the first time that the press announced his death while he was still alive . In a dramatic retelling of the incident , Rickenbacker ' s autobiography relates his astonishing experiences . While he was still conscious but in terrible pain , Rickenbacker was left behind while some ambulances carried away bodies of the dead . When Rickenbacker arrived at a hospital , his injuries appeared so grotesque that the emergency surgeons and physicians left him for dead for some time . They instructed their assistants to " take care of the live ones . " Rickenbacker ' s injuries included a fractured skull , other head injuries , a shattered left elbow with a crushed nerve , a paralyzed left hand , several broken ribs , a crushed hip socket , a pelvis broken in two places , a severed nerve in his left hip , and a broken left knee . Rickenbacker ' s left eyeball was also blown out of its socket . It took many months in the hospital , followed by a long time at home , for Rickenbacker to heal from this multitude of injuries and to regain his full eyesight . Rickenbacker described his terrible experience with vivid accounts of his mental state as he approached death — emphasizing the supreme act of will that it took to stave off dying . Rickenbacker ' s autobiography reports that he spent ten days at the door of death , which he illustrated as " having an overwhelming sensation of calm and pleasure " . Ace Drummond . Rickenbacker also scripted a popular comic strip called " Ace Drummond " from 1935 – 1940 . He worked with aviation artist and author Clayton Knight , who illustrated the series . The strip followed the adventures of aviator Drummond . It was later adapted into a film serial and radio program . World War II . Rickenbacker supported the war effort as a civilian . In 1942 , he toured training bases in the southwestern United States and in England . He encouraged the American public to contribute time and resources , and pledged Eastern Air Lines equipment and personnel for use in military activities . Rickenbacker inspected troops , operations , and equipment , and served in a publicity function to increase support from civilians and soldiers . In 1942 , with a sweeping letter of authorization from Henry L . Stimson , US Secretary of War , Rickenbacker visited England on an official war mission and made ground - breaking recommendations for better war operations . Adrift at sea . One of Rickenbacker ' s most famous near - death experiences occurred in October 1942 . He was sent on a tour of the Pacific Theater of Operations to review both living conditions and military operations , and also to deliver personally a secret message to General Douglas MacArthur from the President . After visiting several air and sea bases in Hawaii , Rickenbacker was a passenger in the B - 17D Flying Fortress numbered " 40 - 3089 " , which strayed hundreds of miles off course while on its way to a refueling stop on Canton Island in the $ 3 . The B - 17 was forced to ditch in a remote and little - traveled part of the Central Pacific . The failure in navigation has been ascribed to an out - of - adjustment celestial navigation instrument , a bubble octant , that gave a systematic bias to all of its readings . That octant reportedly had suffered a severe shock in a pre - takeoff mishap . This unnecessary ditching spurred on the development of improved navigational instrument s and also better survival gear for the aircrewmen . The B - 17 ' s pilot - in - command , Captain William T . Cherry , Jr . , was forced to ditch his B - 17 in the Pacific Ocean , rather close to Japanese - held islands , also . However , the Americans were never spotted by Japanese patrol plane s , and they were to drift on the ocean for thousands of miles . For 24 days , Rickenbacker , Army captain Hans C . Adamson , his friend and business partner , and the rest of the crewmen drifted in life rafts at sea . Rickenbacker was still suffering somewhat from his earlier airplane crash , and Capt . Adamson sustained serious injuries during the ditching . The other crewmen in the B - 17 were hurt to varying degrees . The crewmen ' s food supply ran out after three days . Then , on the eighth day , a seagull landed on Rickenbacker ' s head . He warily and cautiously captured it , and then the survivors meticulously divided it into equal parts and used part of it for fishing bait . They lived on sporadic rain water that fell and similar food " miracles " . Rickenbacker assumed leadership , encouraging and browbeating the others to keep their spirits up . One crewman , Alexander Kaczmarczyk of the USAAF , died and was buried at sea . The U . S . Army Air Forces and the U . S . Navy ' s patrol planes planned to abandon the search for the lost B - 17 crewmen after just over two weeks , but Rickenbacker ' s wife persuaded them to extend it another week . The services agreed to do so . Once again , the newspapers and radio broadcasts reported that Rickenbacker was dead . A US Navy patrol OS2U - 3 Kingfisher float - plane spotted and rescued the survivors on November 13 , off the coast of Nukufetau in Tuvalu . All were suffering from hyperthermia , sunburn , dehydration , and near - starvation . Rickenbacker completed his assignment and delivered his message , which has never been made public , to General MacArthur . Rickenbacker had thought that he had been lost for 21 days , and wrote a book about this experience titled " Seven Came Through " , published by Doubleday , Doran . It was not until later that he recalculated the number of days , and he corrected himself in his autobiography in 1967 . The pilot of the plane that rescued the survivors , Lieutenant William F . Eadie , USN , was awarded the Navy ' s Air Medal for his actions during the rescue . The story was also recounted in Lt . James Whittaker ' s book " We Thought We Heard The Angels Sing " , published in 1943 . The story of Rickenbacker ' s ordeal has been used as an example for Alcoholics Anonymous when the first of their Twelve Traditions was formulated : " Our common welfare should come first . Personal recovery depends upon AA unity . " 1943 mission to the USSR . Still determined to support the US war effort , Rickenbacker suggested a fact - finding mission in the Soviet Union to provide the Soviets with needed technical assistance for their American aircraft . Rickenbacker approached Soviet diplomats , and avoided requesting help from President Franklin Roosevelt , due to their prior disagreements . With the help of the Secretary of War and by trading favors with the Soviet ambassador , Rickenbacker secured unlikely permission to travel to the Soviet Union . The War Department provided everything Rickenbacker needed , including a highly unusual letter stating that the bearer was authorized to " visit . . . any . . . areas he may deem necessary for such purposes as he will explain to you in person " , signed by the Secretary of War . Rickenbacker ' s trip took him over South America , where he made observations about the conditions there . He stopped in Africa , China and India , at each stop reviewing American operations and making notes to report to authorities . In Iran , Rickenbacker offered to bring along an American officer , whose unapproved request to travel to the Soviet Union delayed Rickenbacker ' s party for a few days . In the Soviet Union , Rickenbacker observed wartime conditions , the extraordinary dedication and patriotism by the populace , and the ruthless denial of food to those deemed unproductive to the war effort . He befriended many Soviet officials and shared his knowledge of the aircraft they had received from the United States . He was lavishly entertained and recalled attempts by KGB agents and officials to get him intoxicated enough to disclose sensitive information . Rickenbacker ' s mission was successful . He discovered that a commander of Moscow ' s defense had stayed at Rickenbacker ' s home in 1937 , and personal connections like this and the respect the Soviet military personnel had for him greatly aided his information - gathering . He learned about Soviet defense strategies and capabilities . In the distraction resulting from the outbreak of the Battle of Kursk , he saw a map of the front line showing the locations of all major Soviet military units , which he did his best to memorize . He also persuaded his hosts to give him an unprecedented tour of the Shturmovik aircraft factory . But it was comments made by Rickenbacker during his trip that alerted the Soviets to the existence of the secret B - 29 Superfortress program . Rickenbacker observed some traces of capitalism ( for example , people were allowed to grow food and sell their surplus ) and predicted that the Soviet Union would eventually become a capitalist nation . British Prime Minister Winston Churchill interviewed Rickenbacker about his mission . In the US , Rickenbacker ' s information resulted in some diplomatic and military action , but President Roosevelt did not meet with Rickenbacker . Later life . Although his main home was in New York City for many years , Rickenbacker owned a winter home in Coconut Grove , Florida , near the Eastern Air Lines ' major maintenance and administrative headquarters at the Miami International Airport . For a time , Eastern was the most profitable airline in the postwar era . During the late 1950s , however , Eastern Air Line ' s fortunes declined , and Rickenbacker was forced out of his position as CEO on October 1 , 1959 . Rickenbacker also resigned as the Chairman of the Board on December 31 , 1963 , at the age of 73 . After that , Capt . and Mrs . Rickenbacker traveled extensively for a number of years . In the 1960s , Rickenbacker became a well - known speaker . He shared his vision for the future of technology and commerce , exhorted Americans to respect the adversary , the Soviet Union during the Cold War , but still uphold American values . Rickenbacker endorsed many conservative ideas . In 1967 , when Rickenbacker published his autobiography , a special edition was printed for the employees of Eastern Air Lines , and it contained the following dedication : " To the Men and Women of Eastern Air Lines " ( signed ) Capt Eddie Rickenbacker Captain Rickenbacker suffered from a stroke while he was in Switzerland seeking special medical treatment for Mrs . Rickenbacker , and he then contracted pneumonia . Rickenbacker died on July 23 , 1973 in Zürich , Switzerland . A memorial service was held at the Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church with the eulogy given by Lt . General Jimmy Doolittle , and then his body was interred in Columbus , Ohio , at the Green Lawn Cemetery . In 1977 , at the age of 92 , Adelaide Rickenbacker was completely blind , suffering from failing health , and still grieving severely from the loss of her husband . She committed suicide by gunshot at their home on Key Biscayne , Florida . Honors and awards . Military Awards . Medal of Honor citation . Edward V . Rickenbacker , Colonel , specialist reserve , then first lieutenant , 94th Aero Squadron , Air Service , American Expeditionary Forces . For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy near Billy , France , September 25 , 1918 . While on a voluntary patrol over the lines Lt . Rickenbacker attacked seven enemy planes ( five type Fokker protecting two type Halberstadt photographic planes ) . Disregarding the odds against him he dived on them and shot down one of the Fokkers out of control . He then attacked one of the Halberstadts and sent it down also . Medal of Honor citation , awarded November 6 , 1930 First Distinguished Service Cross citation . The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Edward Vernon Rickenbacker , Captain ( Air Service ) , US Army , for extraordinary heroism in action near Montsec , France , April 29 , 1918 . Captain Rickenbacker attacked an enemy Albatross monoplane , and after a vigorous fight in which he followed his foe into German territory , he succeeded in shooting it down near Vigneulles - les - Hatton Chatel . General Orders No . 32 , W . D . , 1919 Second Distinguished Service Cross citation . The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Edward Vernon Rickenbacker , Captain ( Air Service ) , U . S . for extraordinary heroism in action over Richecourt , France , on May 17 , 1918 . Captain Rickenbacker attacked three Albatross enemy planes , shooting one down in the vicinity of Richecourt , France , and forcing the others to retreat over their own lines . General Orders No . 32 , W . D . , 1919 Third Distinguished Service Cross citation . The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Edward Vernon Rickenbacker , Captain ( Air Service ) , US Army , for extraordinary heroism in action over St . Mihiel , France , on May 22 , 1918 . Captain Rickenbacker attacked three Albatross monoplanes 4 , 000 meters over St . Mihiel , France . He drove them back into German territory , separated one from the group , and shot it down near Flirey . General Orders No . 32 , W . D . , 1919 Fourth Distinguished Service Cross citation . The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Edward Vernon Rickenbacker , Captain ( Air Service ) , US Army , for extraordinary heroism in action over Boise Rate , France , on May 28 , 1918 . Captain Rickenbacker sighted a group of two battle planes and four monoplanes , German planes , which he at once attacked vigorously , shooting down one and dispersing the others . General Orders No . 32 , W . D . , 1919 Fifth Distinguished Service Cross citation . The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Edward Vernon Rickenbacker , Captain ( Air Service ) , US Army , for extraordinary heroism in action on May 30 , 1918 , 4 , 000 meters over Jaulny , France . Captain Rickenbacker attacked a group of five enemy planes . After a violent battle , he shot down one plane and drove the others away . General Orders No . 32 , W . D . , 1919 Sixth Distinguished Service Cross citation . The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Edward Vernon Rickenbacker , Captain ( Air Service ) , US Army , for extraordinary heroism in action in the region of Villecy , France , September 14 , 1918 . Captain Rickenbacker attacked four Fokker enemy planes at an altitude of 3 , 000 meters . After a sharp and hot action , he succeeded in shooting one down in flames and dispersing the other three . General Orders No . 32 , W . D . , 1919 Seventh Distinguished Service Cross citation . The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Edward Vernon Rickenbacker , Captain ( Air Service ) , US Army , for extraordinary heroism in action in the region of Bois - de - Wavrille , France , September 15 , 1918 . Captain Rickenbacker encountered six enemy planes , who were in the act of attacking four Spads , which were below them . Undeterred by their superior numbers , he unhesitatingly attacked them and succeeded in shooting one down in flames and completely breaking the formation of the others . General Orders No . 32 , W . D . , 1919 Other . Rickenbacker was inducted into various halls of fame including the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1965 , the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 , the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994 . He also received the Tony Jannus Award in 1967 for his contributions to scheduled commercial aviation . What is now Dobbins Air Reserve Base was originally called Rickenbacker Field in his honor when it opened in 1941 . In 1945 20th Century Fox made a movie called " Captain Eddie " . It starred Fred MacMurray as Rickenbacker . In November 1947 , a four mile ( 6 km ) causeway was completed , linking Miami on the mainland of Florida with Crandon Park on the island of Key Biscayne . The road was named Rickenbacker Causeway in his honor . In 1974 , Lockbourne Air Force Base in his home town of Columbus was renamed Rickenbacker Air Force Base . On April 1 , 1980 it was turned over to the Air National Guard and renamed Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base . It shares an airfield with Rickenbacker International Airport . The Rickenbacker award is the Civil Air Patrol cadet achievement equivalent to an Active Duty Air Force Technical Sergeant . Cadets awarded the Rickenbacker achievement are promoted to C / TSgt . The United States Postal Service issued a postage stamp in honor of Rickenbacker ' s accomplishments as an aviation pioneer in 1995 . Cultural references . In his comic strip " Li ' l Abner " , Al Capp included an airplane pilot modeled on Rickenbacker : Cap ' n Eddie Ricketyback . Rickenbacker is featured as a character in the pilot episode of the science fiction series " Voyagers ! " . He was played by Peter Frechette . Eddie Rickenbacker appears in the computer game " Red Baron " as one of the Allied aces . In the 1999 game " System Shock 2 " , a military spaceship is named the UNN " Rickenbacker " . " Wings of War : Famous Aces " features Rickenbacker ' s Spad XIII . He also appears in the World War I simulation game Rise of Flight as an instructor . In the 2007 movie " The King of Kong : A Fistful of Quarters " , Billy Mitchell compares Eddie Rickenbacker with the Red Baron to illustrate his own dominance of competitive video game playing , stating " There ' s a level of difference between some people . " In 2009 , musician Todd Snider wrote a song called " Money , Compliments , and Publicity , " which revolves around a statement Rickenbacker made indicating that the pinnacle of success is when you lose interest in money , compliments , and publicity . In the 1955 film " The Court - Martial of Billy Mitchell " , Rickenbacker is played by Tom McKee . In the 2004 novel " The Godfather Returns , " Nick Geraci is reading Eddie Rickenbacker ' s autobiography . His father quotes from the sleeve of the book . Rickenbacker Guitars . Eddie was a distant cousin of Adolph Rickenbacker , co - founder of Rickenbacker Guitars . The company name was purposely chosen for the association with Eddie Rickenbacker .