How a Flying Ace Survived 24 Days Lost at Sea on the Pacific

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 25 May 2023

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Eddie Rickenbacker shouldn’t have survived—his childhood, his auto racing career, the first World War as he became America’s greatest ace, the many plane crashes that had taken others’ lives but yet, not his. A Medal of Honor recipient, he became a genuine icon and hero to the American people, providing a reason to celebrate during the Depression and inspiring them to face life’s daily challenges. But then, in his 50s in 1942, Rickenbacker faced his worst odds yet: a B-17 bomber forced to ditch in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with only inflatable rafts to survive the searing days and freezing

nights—and no way to contact anyone. To tell Eddie’s story is today’s guest, John Wukovits, author of “Lost at Sea: Eddie Rickenbacker's Twenty-Four Days Adrift on the Pacific.” We look at his fight for survival with seven other men adrift on the Pacific. We also look at how many times Eddie Rickenbacker actually defied death—including one airline crash when a dislodged eyeball dangled on his cheek, and yet he tried to help the other
people escape while he remained pinned inside the plane.

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's got to hear with another episode of the History Unplugged Podcast.
0:07.8	Eddie Rickenbacher, who was a celebrity in the early 20th century, a hero from World War
0:12.5	1 and World War 2, is somebody who should never have survived as long as he did.
0:16.5	He was a race car driver, a World War 1 flying ace, at a time when an airplane could have
0:21.4	fallen apart literally any second and pilots didn't even have parachutes, and he faced
0:25.4	his biggest challenge in 1942, when as a civilian he was tasked to fly across the Pacific
0:30.4	Ocean in the V17 and deliver a letter to General MacArthur in Australia when the plane crashed
0:36.0	at sea.
0:37.0	He and Seven Men then spent the next 24 days on two life rafts, suffering storms and
0:41.6	tense sun and being circled by sharks.
0:44.0	Today's guest is John Woocovitz, author of Lost at Sea, Eddie Rickenbacher's 24 days
0:48.1	adrift on the Pacific.
0:49.2	We look closely at what can make someone seem to not be afraid of death, but at the
0:53.1	same time being able to rally those around him to fight to survive until the bitter end.
0:57.4	Hope you enjoyed this talk with John Woocovitz.
1:02.3	And one more thing before we get started with this episode, a quick break for work from
1:05.4	our sponsors.
1:06.9	What was it like to watch the Twin Tower's collapse on 9-11?
1:10.7	How about to be sent to Auschwitz during the Holocaust?
1:13.6	Our past is a collection of stories that bring us to where we are and shape our perspectives.
1:18.0	Hi, I'm Josh Cohen, host of the Eyewitness History Podcast.
1:21.8	On my show, I interview guests who watch the events that shaped our world.
	...

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