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.Doubleday agreed to donate its profits to the Air Force AidSociety as well.Over the years, the book brought thousandsof dollars to the organization, and its trustees insisted thatEddie become the president.Later, Eddie also became chairmanof the National Policy Committee of the High School VictoryCorps.In this position, Eddie traveled across the countryspeaking to young boys and girls, encouraging them to par-ticipate in the war effort by serving either in the armed forcesor in the production lines.Feeling a closeness to Americanyouth, Eddie took sincere enjoyment in inspiring America syoung people.Eddie received several suggestions that he run for polit-ical office, first as Ohio senator, then as president.Whenthe ideas were proposed to Eddie on several occasions, hegraciously declined the consideration.He believed he could The Later Years 97better serve his country as a private citizen, who had an earfor the people, and that was the way he remained.In Eddie s mind, the biggest change that the Pacific ordealbrought about was a spiritual one.Before those few weeks onthe ocean, Eddie was quietly religious, admitting that quitea few of his cronies did not realize his spirituality.After therescue, Eddie no longer had any shyness about expressing histrue feelings.He believed that his rescue could be attributedto God s grace, and he wasn t ashamed to announce it.Onecolumnist wrote: Rickenbacker has become an evangelistwithout knowing it. But Eddie disagreed with one part ofthat statement he knew it.In early April 1943, Eddie went to see Secretary Stimson.He was ready to continue to serve as his special consultant ifhe so desired.Stimson gave Eddie an assignment that would takehim around the world gathering vital military information.Theassignment would take him from the West Indies to Natal, Brazil;across the Atlantic to Kakar, the westernmost point of Africa;up to Algiers, where General Eisenhower was directing theNorth Africa campaign; along the Mediterranean coast ofAfrica to Cairo, Egypt; and to Abadan and Tehran in Iran,which was the gateway to Russia.When Eddie realized hismission would bring him so close to the Russian door, hesuggested that he be permitted to visit with the Russians aswell.Stimson agreed that there was much to learn aboutthe war in Russia and how the situation there affected thewestern front, but getting Eddie accepted by the Russiangovernment would not be an easy task.As it turned out, the U.S.government was not much helpin getting Eddie into Russia.His only chance would be ifPresident Roosevelt were to ask Premier Stalin personally,and since Eddie had publicly criticized Roosevelt s adminis-tration in its handling of the war, this did not seem a likelyroute.But Eddie had another idea.Secretly, he made planswith a governmental agency called Lend-Lease.This program 98 EDDIE RICKENBACKERsent American military supplies to nations fighting the Axispowers, including Russia.Eddie made arrangements withLend-Lease to visit representatives in Russia.Once inside, hecould have an eye on other operations as well.Eddie gavestrict instructions that there was not to be a word to anyoneregarding his plans to visit Russia.Eddie went about his military business, finishing up inTehran.At 6:00 on the morning of July 19, 1943, a C-87 tookoff headed toward Russia, with Eddie Rickenbacker passenger.When the plane landed in Moscow, Eddie was greeted byRussian officers and three Americans, one of whom wasAdmiral William H.Standley, the American ambassador inRussia, all looking very confused.They greeted Eddie andwhispered, What in the hell are you doing here, Eddie? Eddie had enough time to whisper the reply military secret.Later, when they were alone, Eddie fully explained the natureof his mission.Of course, Stimson soon learned about Eddie sarrival in Russia and once again agreed that his informationabout the Russian situation was too valuable to pass up.Heallowed Eddie to stay.A couple of days after arriving in Russia, Eddie had aluncheon with Foreign Minister Molotov and Marshal GeorgiZhukov.During the lunch, they asked Eddie what he wishedto see on his visit.Eddie listed his requests and watched asthe Russian interpreter carefully wrote them down.AfterMolotov and Zhukov heard the list they asked about Eddie sinterpreter.Eddie explained that he did not have one andhoped they could supply him with an interpreter that was agood pilot, an aeronautical engineer, and who spoke Englishwell enough that the two would be able to understand eachother.This reply won the trust of the two men.They saw thatEddie s purpose in Russia was honest, and agreed to give himwhat he asked for.The next day, Eddie reported to the Russian Air Forceheadquarters.There, he met with an old friend, Commander The Later Years 99Andrei Youmachev.In 1937, Eddie had entertained Andreifor a week in New York.The friendly reunion was anotherfavorable stamp on Eddie s business in Moscow.Even though Germans were bombing locations in Russiaabout 500 miles away, Eddie asked Andrei why the Germanshad not attempted an attack on Moscow.Andrei smiled andhanded Eddie a stopwatch.He told Eddie to push the buttonon the watch as soon as he telephoned orders.Eddie did justas Andrei instructed.In 39 seconds, one hundred AmericanP-39s dotted the sky.There was Eddie s answer.Strategically placed air bases surrounded Moscow inthree concentric rings.Andrei took Eddie to one of the basesin the outside ring.At this base, Eddie saw a squadron ofplanes at the end of the runway, engines running and pilotsat the controls.Each pilot served a four-hour tour of duty,ready to take off at an immediate order.The men thenproceeded to a base within the second ring.At the secondbase, Eddie observed planes positioned at the end of therunway, pilots inside, but the engines were not running.Theengines were started once an hour to keep them warmed upand prepared.Inside the third-ring base, pilots waited in aheated tent, planes just outside.The planes were warmedevery two hours at this base. Commander, Eddie said, now I understand thoroughlywhy the Germans do not attempt to bomb Moscow. At each base, Eddie talked to the pilots, relaying hisexperience with the planes they were flying.He gave themtips on maneuverability and handling techniques.Pilots andengineers listened intently to Eddie s lectures, understandingthat the Russian Air Force could greatly benefit from histechnical information.All the while, Eddie was 500 miles away from the ambi-tiously offensive Germans.It was June 1943, and the Germansdid not show signs of giving up the offensive.It appeared asthough the Germans had abandoned a frontal attack on 100 EDDIE RICKENBACKERMoscow, and they were marching around to the south tocome in the back way.Zhukov told Eddie that if they attack,the Russians will defend, and if they do not attack, theRussians will wait until winter and tear them to sheds
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