A note about
EVR, "then and now."
During WW I apparently he really was a pretty crusty, rough-hewn character. Allegedly he told the 94th that his ambition was to be arrested for rape at 90. The mother of a friend of mine cared for him part time during his recovery from mastoid surgery. She described him as the most obnoxious man she ever met (my pal--actually a distant cousin--flew A-4s and explains, "Hey, he was a fighter pilot!")
However, EVR grew into his celebrity. He was a big advocate of self improvement: studied public speaking and became an articulate advocate of commercial aviation. Thus, it's not fair to judge him either by his early or later personality alone. Similar situations existed with others thrust into the limelight. Among those I've known, Joe Foss and Chuck Yeager are excellent examples. Lindbergh, who displaced EVR as America's No. 1 aviator, was brighter and much better educated but had to overcome an innate shyness. Main diff between 'em is that EVR welcomed publicity; Lindy barely tolerated it.