1942: After being forced to ditch in the Pacific Ocean, some 600 miles north of Samoa, WW I ace “Eddie” Rickenbacker, Col. Hans C. Adamson, and Pvt. John F. Bartek are rescued by a Navy Vought-Sikorsky OS2U-3 Kingfisher seaplane. The trio had been afloat on a raft for more than three weeks. The three men were survivors of B‑17D Flying Fortress 40‑3089, piloted by Capt. William T. Cherry Jr., which ditched in the Pacific on October 21, 1942, after running out of fuel due to a navigation error. The men were rescued and were suffering from exposure, sunburn, dehydration, and near starvation. Rickenbacker had lost 40 pounds, but after a few days of rest, he completed his original assignment and delivered his secret message to General MacArthur. (US Navy Image)
