[Edward V. “Eddie” Rickenbacker oral history interview (Part 1 of 2)]

In this two-part oral history, fighter ace Edward V. “Eddie” Rickenbacker is interviewed about his life and his military service during World War I. In part one, he shares stories from his racing, military, and business careers. Topics discussed include his time with the 94th Aero Squadron in France, the evolution of aviation technology and aerial warfare, and stories about fellow servicemen and other colleagues.

The interview is conducted by fighter ace Eugene A. Valencia, a woman identified in the container notes as M. Jones, and several other individuals. All speakers not identifiable as Valencia, Jones, or Rickenbacker are labeled as “unidentified.”

Edward V. “Eddie” Rickenbacker was born on October 8, 1890 in Columbus, Ohio. When he joined the United States Army in 1917, he was already a well-known race car driver and, at 27 years of age, was older than most cadets entering the Air Service. Rickenbacker was deployed to France in June 1917 and served first at the 3rd Aviation Instruction Center in Issoudun before joining the 94th Aero Squadron. During his combat tour, he scored 26 aerial victories against aircraft and balloons, making him the top-scoring American fighter ace in the war. Rickenbacker left the military after World War I and embarked on a number of business ventures, including founding the Rickenbacker Motor Company and managing Eastern Air Lines. During World War II, he made several tours of military bases in support of the war effort. On one such tour in the South Pacific, he and the crew of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress had to ditch the aircraft near Japanese-held islands. The group spent several weeks adrift at sea before being rescued. Rickenbacker passed away in 1973.