Eddie Rickenbacker
was America’s greatest flying ace during the First World War, but his need for speed actually started on the racetrack at the Indy 5000 in 1911. The “Ace of Aces,” shot down 24 airplanes and 4 balloons, earning him the Medal of Honor. Storytellers say Rickenbacker shot down the infamous Red Baron, but this tale is not true.
What most people don’t know is that he survived 24 days floating on a raft in the Pacific Ocean and he was the President of Eastern Airlines.