Was a wellknown racecar driver before he earned a medal of honor as an ace in world war i. After the war, he was ceo of eastern airlines, owned Indianapolis Motor Speedway for nearly 15 years, and was a motor car manufacturer. He also barely survived two airplane crashes. The National Archives in kansas city hosted this hourlong event on the life of Eddie Rickenbacker. Tonight it is my pleasure to introduce john ross, the author of the epic story of the conquest of americas first frontier. Winner of the prize for contributions to American History, he served as executive editor of the American Heritage and on the board of editors at smithsonian magazine. His articles have been published in readers digest, parade, the new york times, newsweek, and washington post. He has appeared on more than 50 radio and television programs. He has worked with many Pulitzer Prize winning writers. Tonight it is my pleasure to introduce john ross. [applause] thanks, kimberly. Thank you all for coming toni
I appreciate it. As i told you folks i talked with his morning, it is an honor for me to be here. There is Something Special about the battlefield here at cold harbor. I came about my interest in the american civil war, im sure like most of you did. I got it from my father. My dad was born in 1901 and a little town on the tennesseealabama border that was only 35 years after the end of the american civil war. As you might imagine, most of those old men sitting around the Grocery Store were confederate veterans. He grew up listening to their tall tales and talking with them about their battles. I was born in 1945. When i grow up, what all of my friends were hearing fairy tales and stories from their parents, my dad was reading the books with names like lees lieutenants, stuff like that. We visited the battlefield. We did not make any trips to cold harbor, though, because there really was not that much here. The overland campaign, which is the campaign that brings grant and lead to where