Major Edward V. Rickenbacker Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Edward Vernon Rickenbacker (1890-1973) spelling his last name "Rickenbacher" before he changed the spelling to "Rickenbacker" in 1918. Rickenbacker, who became America's top flying ace in WWI, had started his career in the automobile industry, first in a garage and then at the Frayer-Miller automobile manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio. In 1907, he went to Firestone-Columbus Motor Car Company. In 1910, as Firestone's branch manager for the mid-West, he began racing the cars he was selling, and by 1912, the 22-year-old had turned to racing full time, becoming known as "King of the Dirt Tracks". In 1914, the year of this document, Rickenbacker set a world speed record of 134 miles per hour at Daytona. Two years later, in November 1916, Rickenbacker took his first ride in an aircraft (flown by Glenn L. Martin, who was just beginning his career in aviation). In 1917, intending to go to Britain to race, Rickenbacker enlisted in the Army instead, beginning his distinguished career as a fighter pilot. After the war, Rickenbacker returned to the automobile business before going into commercial aviation and later inspecting American Air Force bases in the Pacific in WWII.