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Flying Free

When I was young, I wanted to fly. Away

Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was America’s Ace of Aces during The Great War. An ace is a pilot who brings down five enemy aircraft in combat. His total number of victories was twenty six.

When I was ten, in 1966, I drew a picture of Captain Eddie’s most famous mount, a French Spad XIII. I mailed it to him, perhaps one of the few, if any, young boys who did so at that time. He replied and sent me the two books he had written at that point, inscribing both “To my young friend Ian Hochberg, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker …”. He also invited me to visit him in his office in Rockefeller Center.

No effort was made to take me to New York to meet him. He died in 1973 and I missed my chance.

As I now emerge into my true self, with kind support, I decided to do something about this. To make this right. Now.

On Saturday, November 17, 2012, I met his grandson at Logan Airport in Boston, and so came to know my hero. In April, 2013 I will finally meet Captain Eddie, where he rests forever, in a cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. There, we will have our time together, forty seven years passed.

Now I can fly anywhere and be anything, unlimited and free.

As 2012 flows into the year to come, I wish for you the same realization that you can take flight as well, and make real anything, just by believing it is possible.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 1st, 2012 at 12:00 pm . Both comments and pings are currently closed.