The Ace of Hearts

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This endeavor is possibly the most compelling and mysterious narrative I have tackled in 25 years of writing, for the following reasons: Several years ago, I got a parcel in the mail with no return address, only to discover two miniature journals written in a woman’s handwriting. I read the journals and was surprised by what this incredible young woman had done. 

The first entry, dated August 25, 1914, shows her living on a farm in a tiny town northwest of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Jessica discovered her talent for mechanical and electrical skills and was able to repair practically anything she worked on. However, her love of a new innovation would shape her life; her love of airplanes inspired her to attend a Catholic college in order to further her study in aeronautical engineering. 

Taking advantage of an incorrectly completed birth record, she decided that in order to achieve her goals in a male-dominated world, she would have to appear to be a man. Her admission into the Royal Air Corps in Ontario, Canada, was made possible by carefully modifying her college records to only reflect her name as Jess rather than Jessica. Because of the need for cadets, an incomplete physical exam that may have disclosed her gender and a recommendation from a senior aeronautical engineer secured her entry as a cadet. Jess got her wings after finishing ground and flight school and was deployed to France to support the war effort against the Germans, when she was shot down over enemy territory outside Brussels, Belgium, by a red triplane. She was saved by a young French woman who treated her injuries and managed to hide her from German patrols, even causing damage to them before departing Belgium. The term ‘ace’ is given to pilots who have shot down at least five enemy planes. In this case, the word refers to Jessica’s maturation via four relationships, including a love affair with a nun, the fifth of which led to a lifelong relationship. 

A short printed letter was included with the journals, stating that if I discovered the genuine identity of the woman in this book, I should respect the family’s right to privacy by changing all of the identities. I’ll acknowledge that, after an exhaustive search of college records and aid from archivists, I was unable to discover the true name of this woman using the facts derived from the diaries. Perhaps it’s best that way. I am thrilled to share her story after years of putting it together. 

What surprised us the most was that she was just that—a woman who had surmounted numerous barriers, including concealing her gender, to achieve so much in a world dominated by men. 

We were unable to find any living relatives of Sophia Ramirez, the girl they later adopted, because her first son was killed in the Ia Drang River Valley during the Vietnam War in 1968, and her second son was killed in a car accident in 1970, both before they had children. That information was contained in the letter accompanying the journals. Her husband is a mystery. Someone knew enough to include that information, but I’ll follow their desires and try to share this story. 

To comply with the family’s request, all names used are fictitious, and any resemblance to anyone living or dead is entirely coincidental. Furthermore, over time, the names of certain localities have changed. The chronological order of events corresponds to documented history. Though the two journals provided the core of the narrative, there were certain gaps that we felt needed to be filled to keep the story moving forward. We are unable to account for the missing time.