Eddie rickenbacker biography world war 2

The father of this child, Wilhelm, hoped to one day run his own successful business, but would, unfortunately, stay on a relatively low income. This child was Edward Rickenbacker. Young Rickenbacker had a propensity to becoming injured or getting into life-threatening situations. On one occasion he nearly died when he ran back into his burning school to grab his jacket.

After this, he dropped out of school and began working various jobs to support his now fatherless family. He had a fascination with machines and ended up working for the Oscar Lear Automobile Company, eddie rickenbacker biography world war 2 he quickly proved to have a natural mechanical talent. Before long he was working under the chief engineer, who took him to the Vanderbilt Cup race when he was just At 19 years old he was responsible for all Firestone-Columbus operations in a number of states.

One died, and as the others slowly wasted away, Rickenbacker prodded them to stay alive—it was all too easy to merely quit. When they were finally rescued, the others admitted they survived only because of Rickenbacker. After convalescing for two weeks, Rickenbacker flew on to Port Moresby and delivered his message to MacArthur. Neither ever revealed the content of the secret message.

After the war Rickenbacker continued to run Eastern Airlines, but poor business decisions eventually put the company into a slow decline. When Rickenbacker retired in at age 73, Eastern was still afloat, but clouds were on the horizon. For the next decade Captain Eddie worked on his memoirs and spoke out about the dangers of communism and the importance of never giving up.

On vacation to Europe inRickenbacker died. Rickenbacker's mission was successful. A commander of Moscow 's defense had stayed at Rickenbacker's home inand this personal connection aided his information-gathering. He learned about Soviet defense strategies and capabilities. When the Battle of Kursk started, he took advantage of the Soviets' distraction, viewing and memorizing a map that detailed the locations of Soviet military units at the front.

However, Rickenbacker made comments during his trip that alerted the Soviets to the existence of the secret B Superfortress program. In the United States, Rickenbacker's information resulted in some diplomatic and military action; however, the president did not meet with him. Postwar [ edit ] For a time, Eastern was the most profitable airline in the postwar era.

During the late s, however, Eastern Air Lines' fortunes declined. Rickenbacker was forced out of his position as CEO on October 1, He shared his vision for the future of technology and commerce, exhorting Americans to respect the Soviet Union during the Cold Warbut still uphold American values. He also endorsed many conservative ideas. InRickenbacker published his autobiography, giving a special edition to the employees of Eastern Air Lines.

Personal life Washington Times article about Rickenbacker and his wife. At the time, she was married to Clifford Duranta racing competitor of Rickenbacker and the hard-partying son of William Durant of General Motors fame. He died there insurrounded by his family. For More Information Farr, Finis. Rickenbacker's Luck: An American Life. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Rickenbacker, Edward V.

Article Halacy, Dan. War Times Journal. Rickenbacker the Psychic? During his lifetime Eddie Rickenbacker saw great changes in society and technology. He saw transportation progress from horsedrawn wagons to superhighways and supersonic jets. He witnessed the development of the telephone, the television, and the early computer. Perhaps because he saw such tremendous change, he loved to wonder and predict what changes the future might bring.

The last chapter of Rickenbacker's autobiography, published inis filled with his predictions of the technological advances he thought could happen within fifty years. In the future, Rickenbacker said, airplanes would carry a thousand passengers or more and travel at speeds of up to five thousand miles per hour. Most individuals would own helicopters, and cities would have central heliports where commuters could land.

Those who did not fly helicopters to work might wear rocket belts, which would allow them to fly without a vehicle.

Eddie rickenbacker biography world war 2

New engines, based on the jet enginewould be invented to power automobiles. The sky would be filled with space stations that would offer regular flights to other planets as well as shuttles back to Earth. Rickenbacker came closer to reality in his financial predictions. In the future, he guessed, money for payments and investments would not have to be physically transported from place to place; it would be transferred instantly through the use of electronics and television screens.