Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker South Pacific Negatives

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of eight 120 mm negatives that feature Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker on the final leg of his South Pacific inspection tour of 1942, resumed only days after his rescue at sea after a previous transport plane, a Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress, s/n 40-3089, went down in the Pacific. Also pictured are Major Charles E. Shelton and Major "Chick" Luna.

Biographical / Historical

Edward Vernon Rickenbacker (1890-1973) had only a sixth grade education but became a leading aviation figure in both military and civilian circles. Rickenbacker was a fighter ace during World War I, where as a member of the 94th Aero Squadron he shot down 22 German aircraft and 4 observation balloons. He became a colonel in the Army Air Reserves and during World War II helped form the Military Air Transport Services. In October of 1942, during an inspection tour of the Pacific theater, Rickenbacker's Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress went off course and was ditched over water. The surviving seven members of the crew were rescued 24 days later, suffering from exposure, starvation, and dehydration. In the civilian sector, Rickenbacker worked at several airlines, including Fokker Aircraft Corporation and American Airways, before going to work at Eastern Airlines in 1934. In 1939 Rickenbacker became Eastern's president and chairman, positions he held until 1963.