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government. However, this effort did get him an offer as a driver on General Pershing's staff.
His "Get ahead" formula was still working,and shortly after arriving in France he was transferred to Tours to enter Primary Flight Training. In March of 1917 the 94th Aero Squadron was almost ready to go into action. While waiting for the guns to be installed in their planes it was suggested that they needed an insignia. Lieutenant Walter (the suqdron medico)suggested "Throwing Uncle Sam's hat into the ring" as an invitation to battle. What did the "Hat-In-The-Ring" mean to Captain Rickenbacker as an emblem for Eastern Air Lines' I will quote from a letter of his. "The Hat-In-The-Ring emblem for the famours 94th Aero Squadron historically symbolizes courage, loyalty, and faith in our institutitions and country." Of if you prefer, "Faith in the future of Eastern Air Lines."
After the war, the Captain returned to America to a hero's welcome. America's "Ace of Aces", with ticker tape parades, banquets and speeches. Now it was again time for him to put the old success formula to work. Aviation was too young to offer financial security. he had long dreamed of the great American car. Again the strategist, and the Rickenbacker car came into production. The car was typical of the Rickenbacker philosophy of life and business. "Of superior quality with many innovations." But the depression of the twenties was setting in. Competition was very tough. In 1922 the company closed down, and after reevaluating his future the Captain again turned to aviation.
In 1933 he was made a vice-president of North American Aviation, which owned Eastern Air Transport, one of the small struggling airlines. On February 16th, 1934 the Posto Office cancelled the Air-mail contracts. The new Air-mail law caused Eastern Air Transport to change its name to Eastern Air Lines, and Captain Rickenbacker was named General Manager.
As Chairman of the fledgling ALPA Council at Newark, I was optimistic that the Captain with his aviation background would head a management sympathetic to the problems of the pilots. This optimism was soon rewarded
In those early days, we executed an instrument approach by following a ragio beam to the station, getting the cone of silence, and letting down to the airport on a compass course. When the first two-way radios were installed for communication, the transmission of voice eliminated reception of the directional beam. One night, going into Newark with a 200 foot ceiling, I had a new copilot. He got to talking too much on the radio and I missed the cone of silence. I had to go around and make a second approach.
When Captain Rickenbacker received my report, he called in the head of the radio department and asked, "Does our radio really work like this?" Answer - "Yes." Captain: "Well whatever it takes to fix, do it. It's sure no good like it is."
Very shortly thereafter we had beam received that were not affected by voice transmission. This policy of concern for flight operation safety is one that has characterized Easter's long and enviable record.
In February of 1935 we requested the Pilots' first meeting with Captain Rickenbacker to protest the procedure used in promoting pilots. Although we were ruled against at the time, we did start the machinery in motion which soon established a fair seniority system. I remember the meeting well. After the decision was announced, the Captain asked each one if we had anything further to say. John Halliburton was the only 
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