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Months later I had the occasion again to be in the New York office. Having finished my work, I was waiting at the elevator when the Captain came by. It was during a period when the company was beset by labor problems. I asked the Captain, "When the going gets rough, do you have a formula to work by?" He gave me one of his most penetrating appraisals, then smiled and replied, "As a matter of fact I do. I say to myself, remember to be kindly." The elevators arrived, we shook hands and I left. As the elevator descended, the operator, a big husky black fellow, asked me, "Do you work for Eastern?" "yes I do," I replied. "Well you sure are lucky," he said. I agreed with him that I was lucky, but asked him why he thought so. "Well, if you work for Eastern then Mr. Rickenbacker is your boss, and I'm telling you he is the finest person I've ever met." Although it didn't mean so much at the time, through the years I have come to realize just how great a compliment this statement was. The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize how few people are ever honored by such an appraisal. How seldom have you heard someone say, "He or she, is the finest person I've ever met." I'm sure if Captain Eddie Rickenbacker were alive today, and I were to ask him, "What must one do to be worthy of such a compliment?", he would say again, as he did so many years ago, "Just remember to be kindly."

Eastern Air Lines will long be remembered as the "Rickenbacker Airline". It is a worthy name. The captain was a great leader. A dynamic personality.

Editor's Note: Pioneer Captain Bob Young rook pride in working closely with Capt. Eddie throughout the 25 years he led Eastern, and wrote commentaries which gained him the unofficial title of Captain Eddie's biographer.  Thus, he was well qualified to write and submit the above tribute.  We are fortunate that he wrote this article in an earlier REPArtee issue and we feel it warrants this reprint. Bob Young died October 25, 1998. 

Bob's last letter to REPArtee in case you missed it:

BOB YOUNG, 29129 Johnston Road #2516, Dade City, FL 33523

On May 15th, I celebrated y 94th birthday-thirty-four years after retiring as a 33 year veteran of Eastern's cockpits (July, 1931 to May, 1964)-and a wonderful retirement it has been. I now have the distinction of being the oldest living Eastern pilot and, by the way, the oldest living graduate of the U.S. Naval Air Station in Pensacola, not that I earned this distinction by any admi-rable action on my own, but it has fallen my way as a result of the untimely death of my good friend, Captain Gene Brown in September, 1997. Due to a fall this past March, I am somewhat confined to a wheel chair, but am able to navigate our home of 24 years, taking meals with Betty, my wife of 67 years, in our dining room. I remain alert and enjoy our many friends who drop by, my telephone conversations with family and many lifetime friends and reading REPArtee. I was inspired to write REPA while reading the excellent article about Pete Peterson, who just celebrated his 90th birthday. Pete became my copilot when he joined Easter Air Transport and we both moved to Westfield, New Jersey and built homes near each other as well as Eastern Captain Fred Davis. Pete and I were also the original delegates to the congress which formed ALPA, the association which has done so much to enhance the 
  
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