War hero guided Eastern Air Lines A decorated military pilot who
espoused big aviation dreams commanded one of the nation’s
flagship airlines which once called Miami its home. Eddie
Rickenbacker, a World War I hero and race car driver, already
had the taste of success when he began managing Eastern Air
Lines in 1933. For the next 30 years, Rickenbacker would make an
important contribution to South Florida’s growth and
development. Eastern, under Rickenbacker’s guidance, was one of
the America’s early leading major airlines, especially in the
1940s and ’50s when South Florida was becoming a prime vacation
destination as well as a year-round residence for an increasing
number of northerners. Five years after General Motors put
Eastern Air Lines under Rickenbacker’s management, Rickenbacker,
along with a group of investors, bought the company in 1938, and
he became its first president. Eastern became known for its
innovations, including successful negotiations with the
government to acquire air mail routes, a jo