Most Decorated Serviceman of WWI

Robert Widener of the VFW Organization wrote a very well documented article for the November-December issue of the VFW National Magazine and asked for members to reply their thought. 

In his work, he listed 19 of the most highly decorated soldiers, in which 16 had received the Medal of Honor, and one had received 10 Purple Hearts. In the end he had to suggest that Captain Eddie Rickenbacker had earned the right to be called the most decorated Serviceman of World War I. 

This was my reply to Robert Widener and I am happy to share it with you. 

Mr. Widener, I agree with your decision and although I am familiar with the deeds of about half of those of whom you wrote, Eddie Rickenbacker was the only one I had met personally.   

At the time, I was president of the Eureka Chamber of Commerce and when a meeting of the State of Missouri Chamber was held in St. Louis, Capt. Rickenbacker was the main speaker.

My seat was only about 12 feet from the speaker, so I felt fortunate to be able to greet him as he was one of my heroes at the time. I was a private pilot and had served in the U.S. Marines in World War II, so I knew his record well. 

There was about 1,500 people at the luncheon at the Jefferson Hotel in St. Louis, and it set the stage for something I will never forget. 

Rickenbacker was introduced by the editor of a major St. Louis newspaper, and after an ovation went into a tirade against the then President John Kennedy, was accepted well by those in attendance. 

Suddenly to my left, I saw an aide deliver a written message to the editor who read it and almost went into shock. After just a minute he rose and spoke to Capt. Rickenbacker and passed the message to him. 

He then, in turn, read the words to the audience that President Kennedy had been shot and was being taken to a hospital in Dallas. 

Eddie paused and offered a moment of silence in behalf of the president and immediately went back to his prepared speech. Within minutes, more than 1,000 of the listeners left the room and the meeting was adjourned. 

I went across to KSD radio where I knew a broadcaster and there I listened to the up-to-date news learning that Kennedy had died, and in a discussion between network information, I made two statements which proved to be correct.  

1. As I watched the replay of the film, I immediately decided that an ex-Marine did the shooting.
2. Since my favorite place in Washington, DC, was to go to Arlington Cemetery where I would go to Lee's Mansion and look back over the city and at that time I felt and stated that he would be buried, just down the hill from the mansion. And that is where President Kennedy was laid.

My friend with whom I was visiting has long since died, so I have no proof, but I do know that on that special moment by putting my experience to work, I felt I knew more than any else in the world at that specific time. I had met Kennedy in Miami when he spoke to our American Farm Bureau national meeting and he was good to my wife and two oldest kids, so as a Democrat I felt his loss deeply.  And as a long time admirer of Capt. Eddie, I felt a loss there also. 

In 1964 I ran for Missouri state representative and won, along with President Johnson, which set the stage for my life as I have been in many races since, losing for the U.S. Congress in 2004 and 2006. I have my website ready for another try in 2012.