Editing Eddie Rickenbacker (section)

== World War II ==

=== Support for Britain ===

Rickenbacker supported the war effort as a civilian. While initially supporting the [[United States non-interventionism|isolationist movement]], Rickenbacker officially left the [[America First Committee|America First]] organization in 1940, having been a member for a few months. He then took an outspoken pro-British stance. He was inspired by "England's heroic resistance to relentless air attacks" from the [[Luftwaffe]]'s campaign during the [[Battle of Britain]] in 1940, writing: "Should these gallant British withstand the terrific onslaught of the totalitarian states until the summer of 1941, it is my sincere conviction that by that time this nation will have declared war."<ref>Lewis, W. David. ''Eddie Rickenbacker: An American Hero in the Twentieth Century,'' Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2005. p. 363. {{ISBN|978-0-8018-8244-9}}</ref>

Rickenbacker was one of a few celebrities who participated in campaigns to rally World War I veterans to the British cause before the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]].<ref name="Eddie Rickenbacker pg. 383">Lewis, W. David. ''Eddie Rickenbacker: An American Hero in the Twentieth Century,'' Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2005. p. 383. {{ISBN|978-0-8018-8244-9}}</ref> In 1942, he toured training bases in the southwestern United States and [[England]]. He encouraged the American public to contribute time and resources and pledged Eastern Air Lines equipment and personnel for use in military activities. Under Rickenbacker's direction, Eastern Air Lines flew munitions and supplies across the Atlantic to the British.<ref name="Eddie Rickenbacker pg. 383"/>

In 1942, with a letter of authorization from [[Henry L. Stimson]], [[U.S. Secretary of War]], Rickenbacker visited England on an official war mission and made ground-breaking recommendations for better war operations.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} He inspected troops, operations, and equipment, serving in a publicity role to increase support from civilians and soldiers. Later, he worked with both the [[Royal Air Force]] and the [[United States Army Air Forces]] on bombing strategy, including work with air chief marshal Sir [[Arthur Harris]] and general [[Carl Andrew Spaatz]].<ref>Lewis, W. David. ''Eddie Rickenbacker: An American Hero in the Twentieth Century,'' Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2005. pg. 407-408, 410-412, 477 {{ISBN|978-0-8018-8244-9}}</ref>

=== Adrift at sea ===

In October 1942, Stimson sent Rickenbacker on a tour of air bases in the [[Asiatic-Pacific Theater|Pacific Theater of Operations]] to review living conditions and operations. In addition, he was to deliver a secret message from the president to General [[Douglas MacArthur]].<ref name="Fleming">{{cite magazine |last=Fleming |first=Thomas |date=Fall 2008 |title=Lost at Sea for 24 Days |url=http://www.americanheritage.com/content/lost-sea-24-days |magazine=American Heritage |publisher=American Heritage Publishing |access-date=December 7, 2017}}</ref> After visiting several air and sea bases in [[Hawaii]], Rickenbacker was provided with a [[B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17D Flying Fortress]] (AAF Ser. No. ''40-3089'') as transportation to the South Pacific. Due to faulty navigation equipment, the bomber strayed hundreds of miles off course while on its way to a refueling stop on [[Canton Island]]. When the airplane ran out of fuel, the pilot, Captain William T. Cherry Jr., was forced to ditch or [[Water landing|water land]] the airplane in a remote part of the [[Pacific Ocean]].<ref name=":17"/>

[[File:Lot-2058-8 (28626621298).jpg|thumb|Rickenbacker's experience resulted in every Navy life raft being equipped with an emergency fishing kit.]]

For 24 days, Rickenbacker, Army Captain [[Hans Christian Adamson|Hans C. Adamson]] (his friend and business partner), and six crewmen drifted for thousands of miles at sea in [[life raft]]s. Adamson sustained serious injuries during the ditching. The other crewmen—John Bartek, Wiliam Cherry, John De Angelis, Alexander Kaczmarczyk, James Reynolds, and James Whittaker—were hurt to varying degrees.<ref name=":17"/> Their food supply ran out after three days.<ref name=":17"/> On the eighth day, a [[tern]] landed on Rickenbacker's head.<ref name=":17"/> He captured it, and the bird became both a meal for the men and fishing bait.<ref name=":17"/> They survived on sporadic rainwater and small fish that they caught with their bare hands.<ref name=":26"/> While suffering from dehydration, Kaczmarczyk drank seawater; he died after two weeks adrift and was buried at sea.<ref name=":17"/>

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 convinced them to search for another week.<ref name=":17"/> However, the newspapers and radio reported that Rickenbacker was dead.<ref name=":26"/>

The surviving men split up. Cherry rowed off in the small raft and was rescued on day 23. Reynolds, De Angelis, and Whittaker found a small island that was close to an inhabited island where the natives were hosting an allied radio station. A U.S. Navy patrol [[Vought OS2U Kingfisher|OS2U-3 Kingfisher]] float-plane rescued the survivors on November 13, 1942, in the Ellice Island chain (now [[Tuvalu]]).<ref name=":17"/> All were suffering from exposure, sunburn, dehydration, and near starvation.<ref name=":17"/> He had lost {{Convert|40|lb}}, but after a few days of rest, Rickenbacker completed his assignment and delivered his message to General MacArthur.<ref name=":17"/><ref name=":18"/>

The failure in the airplane's navigation was blamed on an out-of-adjustment [[bubble octant]] that gave a [[systematic bias]] to all of its readings. The octant suffered a severe shock in a failed takeoff attempt in a different bomber. When the bomber's landing gear brakes seized, the crew unknowingly moved the damaged bubble octant to Rickenbacker's plane. This ditching spurred the development of improved [[navigational instrument]]s and also better [[survival kit|survival gear]] for the air crewmen.

In 1943, Rickenbacker wrote ''Seven Came Through'' about his experience, saying he was lost for 21 days.<ref>Rickenbacker, Edward V. ''Seven Came Through.'' Garden City: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., 1943.</ref> He corrected the number to 24 days in his 1967 autobiography.

=== 1943 mission to the USSR ===

Still determined to support the war effort, Rickenbacker suggested a fact-finding mission in the [[Soviet Union]] to provide the Soviets with technical assistance with their American aircraft. To get approval for this trip, Rickenbacker approached Soviet diplomats, rather than President Roosevelt. By trading favors with the Soviet ambassador and with Stimson's help, Rickenbacker secured permission to travel to the Soviet Union. Stimson assigned Rickenbacker to visit the bases and production facilities in the Aleutian Islands, Burma, China, India, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Soviet Union.<ref name=":17"/> The [[United States Department of War|War Department]] provided everything Rickenbacker needed, including a highly unusual letter giving the bearer permission 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.<ref>Rickenbacker, Edward V. ''Rickenbacker: an Autobiography.'' Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1967. p. 390. {{ISBN|978-0-13-781005-5}}</ref>

In April 1943, Rickenbacker began his trip, traveling to Cairo, Egypt, in a [[United States Army Air Forces]] [[Douglas C-54 Skymaster|C-54]] provided by General [[Henry H. Arnold]]. Rickenbacker made observations at every stop and reviewed American operations with a critical eye, forwarding reports to authorities. From Cairo, he traveled by [[Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express|C-87]] to India to experience the [[The Hump|Hump airlift]] into China—he reported unfavorably on the Hump airlift to Arnold after his return to the United States. Continuing into China, Rickenbacker was impressed by the determination of the Chinese people but disgusted with the corruption of the [[Kuomintang]] government. Next, he went to [[Iran]] and, from there, to the Soviet Union.

In the Soviet Union, Rickenbacker observed wartime conditions, the dedication and patriotism of the Russians, and the 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 by the Soviets and recalled attempts by [[NKVD]] agents to get him intoxicated enough to disclose sensitive information.

Rickenbacker's mission was successful. A commander of [[Moscow]]'s defense had stayed at Rickenbacker's home in 1937, and 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.<ref>Rickenbacker, Edward V. ''Rickenbacker: an Autobiography.'' Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1967. p. 376. {{ISBN|978-0-13-781005-5}}</ref> He also persuaded his hosts to give him an unprecedented tour of the [[Ilyushin Il-2|Shturmovik]] aircraft factory. However, Rickenbacker made comments during his trip that alerted the Soviets to the existence of the secret [[B-29 Superfortress]] program.<ref name="ccb">{{cite journal |last=Boyne |first=Walter J. |year=2009 |title=Carbon Copy Bomber |url=http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2009/June%202009/0609bomber.pdf |journal=Air Force Magazine |volume=92 |issue=June |page=53 |access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref>

After Rickenbacker visited the Soviet Union, British prime minister [[Winston Churchill]] interviewed him. In the United States, Rickenbacker's information resulted in some diplomatic and military action; however, the president did not meet with him.<ref>Rickenbacker, Edward V. ''Rickenbacker: an Autobiography.'' Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1967. p. 438. {{ISBN|978-0-13-781005-5}}</ref> For his support of the war effort, Rickenbacker received the [[Medal for Merit]] from the United States government.