Captain Edward “Eddie” Rickenbacker

Edward Vernon Rickenbacker jumped at the opportunity of joining the U.S. Army in 1917 when his country became a part of WWI. He was stationed in France in June taking on the rank of sergeant.

But while Rickenbacker’s chief ambition was to fly he was restricted to doing only ground duties playing the role of a mechanic as he did not have a formal education. But he could still fulfill his duties as his superiors were there in support of him.  And they were right as pretty soon he was successfully able to down the enemy aircraft with gunfire on April 29, 1918.

And his conquests soon reached greater heights as he fell five more German planes. It also earned him the French Croix de Guerre. He went on to shoot down 26 enemy planes and won the Distinguished Service Cross as many as eight times. His award was upgraded to a Medal of Honor in 1930 and he was widely regarded as one of the most decorated Americans of the First World War.