This column first appeared in September 2011.
Last week I began the story of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, one of the most famous Hoosier heroes you’ve probably never heard of. He was America’s “Ace of Aces,” the most decorated pilot of World War I, a pioneer of U.S. commercial aviation and the last of the early flyers to run one of the nation’s great airlines. But of all the legends that trailed him throughout his long lifetime, none seemed to please Eddie Rickenbacker so much as the legend of his invincibility. “I’ve cheated the Grim Reaper more times than anyone I know,” he liked to boast. “And I’ll fight like a wildcat until they nail the lid of my pine box down on me.”
As a civilian, Rickenbacker supported the war effort by touring bases in the southwestern United States encouraging the American public to contribute time, money and resources for the war effort. He pledged Eastern Airlines equipment and personnel for use in military activities. Rickenbacker inspected troops, operations, and equipment, and used his fame as a warrior to increase support from civilians and boost the morale of soldiers. In 1942, backed by U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson, Rickenbacker visited England on an official war mission, making innovative recommendations for better war operations. This trip would ultimately lead to one of Rickenbacker’s most famous near-death experiences and vault him into the realm of legend.
In October of 1942, Rickenbacker was sent on a tour of the Pacific Theater of Operations to review both living conditions and military operations, and also to personally deliver a top secret message to General Douglas MacArthur from the President. After visiting several air and sea bases in Hawaii, Rickenbacker was a passenger on a B-17D Flying Fortress which, while on its way to refueling at Canton Island, strayed hundreds of miles off course in the Central Pacific Ocean. The plane was forced to land on a remote and little-traveled part of the Central Pacific close to many Japanese-held islands. Eddie and six other men boarded three rafts, where they would remain for the next 24 days. Luckily, the Americans were never spotted by Japanese patrol planes as they drifted on the ocean for thousands of miles.
Rickenbacker had never really recovered from his earlier airplane crash and the B-17’s Captain sustained serious injuries during the crash water landing. All of the other crewmen were hurt to varying degrees and their food supply ran out after only three days. On the eighth day, a seagull landed on Rickenbacker’s head. The Medal of Honor recipient cautiously captured it, and the castaways meticulously divided it equally for food 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 died and was buried at sea. The military planned to abandon the search for the lost B-17 crew after two weeks, but Rickenbacker’s wife Adelaide persuaded President Roosevelt to extend it for one more week. Once again, the newspapers and radio broadcasts reported that Rickenbacker was dead.
A U.S. Navy Kingfisher float-plane spotted and rescued the survivors on November 13. All were suffering from exposure, sunburn, dehydration, and near-starvation. True to form, Rickenbacker completed his assignment and delivered his message to General MacArthur, which to this day has never been made public. The story of Rickenbacker’s lost-at-sea ordeal was used by Alcoholics Anonymous as an example for the first of their Twelve Traditions using Captain Eddie’s credo: “Our common welfare should come first. Personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.”
Still determined to support the U.S. war effort, Rickenbacker suggested a fact-finding mission in the Soviet Union and was among the most vocal patriotic Americans to advocate open and honest relations with Stalin and the Russian state. 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. 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. He was lavishly entertained and recalled attempts by KGB agents and officials to get him intoxicated enough to disclose sensitive information. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill interviewed Rickenbacker about his mission, but President Roosevelt did not meet with Rickenbacker about the trip.
For a time, under Rickenbacker’s stewardship, Eastern was the most profitable airline in the postwar era. Eventually, Eastern Airline’s fortunes declined, and Rickenbacker 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 enemy, the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but still uphold American values. Rickenbacker endorsed many conservative ideas.
In 1967, Rickenbacker published his autobiography, which included a number of noteworthy axioms and quotations including one of my personal favorites: “The pinnacle of success is when you lose interest in money, compliments, and publicity.”
You can’t really appreciate all of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker’s story without also appreciating the life of his wife of over 50 years, Adelaide. She was born Adelaide Frost on May 21, 1885 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Adelaide’s beauty and remarkable singing voice led her to perform professionally in Detroit while still a teenager. She attracted the attention of Russell Clifford Durant, son of the founder of General Motors, Chevrolet, and Durant Motors. Adelaide married Durant in 1911 and moved to the family estate in California. Cliff drove race cars and chased women and rumor says he abused Adelaide physically as well. She was separated from Durant in 1918 and granted a divorce in 1921. That same year, Adelaide renewed her acquaintance with Eddie Rickenbacker, whom she had met earlier on the racing circuit. Rickenbacker was five years her junior (something, she later said, that she never told Capt. Eddie). Their courtship was brisk, and they were married on September 16, 1922 in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Adelaide lived in Captain Eddie’s shadow except during the early days of World War II, when she traveled extensively with golf legend Bobby Jones to raise funds and morale for the Air Force. She reacted to the “Bundles for Britain” movement by establishing a fund called “Bundles for America” which raised nearly $4 million to aid the families of U.S. servicemen overseas.
Eddie Rickenbacker credited his wife with saving his life three times. After his near-fatal airplane crash in February 1941, Eddie was in critical condition at Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital. Adelaide awoke from an exhaustive sleep with the thought, “Eddie needs me,” and found him struggling for breath. She discovered that his oxygen tank was empty and quickly roused the dozing nurse who fixed the problem. Less than eighteen months later, when Eddie was lost in the Pacific for 24 days and the Air Corps wanted to halt the search after two weeks, Adelaide demanded that General “Hap” Arnold continue the search. Ten days later, Eddie and the B-17 crew were discovered. Finally, Eddie suffered a stroke in 1972 that left him in a coma. Although he had left a “living will,” Adelaide refused to allow him to die, and worked with Eddie and his doctors to aid his recovery.
A few months after Eddie’s stroke, he accompanied Adelaide to Switzerland seeking special medical treatment for her failing vision. Unfortunately, while in Zurich, he suffered another stroke, then contracted pneumonia and finally a fatal heart attack. On July 27, 1973 Eddie Rickenbacker, race car driver, World War I fighter pilot, Congressional Medal of Honor winner, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner, legendary businessman and legendary American hero died. A memorial service was held at the Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church with the eulogy given by Lt. General Jimmy Doolittle, after which his body was interred at the Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.
Adelaide never regained her sight. Blind, in failing health, and still grieving severely from the loss of her husband, Adelaide killed herself with a .32 caliber pistol at the couple’s Key Biscayne, Florida, home on February 2, 1977. She is buried right next to Captain Eddie, just as it should be.
Al Hunter is the author of the “Haunted Indianapolis” and co-author of the “Haunted Irvington” and “Indiana National Road” book series. His newest books are “Bumps in the Night. Stories from the Weekly View,” “Irvington Haunts. The Tour Guide,” and “The Mystery of the H.H. Holmes Collection.” Contact Al directly at Huntvault@aol.com or become a friend on Facebook.
