Ironton Museum Honors World War 1 Ace

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The Colonel William C. Lambert Museum and Archive in
Ironton, Ohio, honors the local World War 1 flying ace.

Lambert flew for the British Royal Air Force in 1918, when
he left the Western Front in August, he had 22 victories, then
the most achieved by any American pilot.

By the time of the Armistice in November, his total was
surpassed by Eddie Rickenbacker, the former sports car
driver from Columbus, Ohio, with 26 victories.

These Ohio natives were the two greatest aces of the war.
Lambert was unwilling to take advantage of his war record
to achieve the public acclaim that Rickenbacker enjoyed
in his lifetime.

It would not be until he was 73 years old that he would
allow himself to be noticed for his exploits. His life was
rejuvenated from the late1960s until his death in 1982
by interest in the Great War from a new generation
of aviation enthusiasts.

For the remaining years of his life he was interviewed by
newspapers and magazines about documentaries for his
war experiences.

A surprising number of Americans went to Canada and
joined the British flying services in the Great War. Several
of them, like Lambert, went on to have distinguished careers.

The WCLMMA functions as a repossitory for historical
artifacts and records of a military nature relating to the life
of Lambert and all veterans of Lawrence County, Ohio. The
museum's mission is to document, preserve and explain the
role and legaey of these veterans  who shaped our national
experience so that citizens will understand the price of
freedom and be inspired by their example.

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