Before he became America’s top World War I ace, Eddie Rickenbacker was a racecar driver and self-taught engineer. He enlisted in 1917 and talked his way into the 94th Aero Squadron—the “Hat-in-the-Ring” gang. On April 29, 1918, he scored his first victory over a German Pfalz D.III. By October 30, he had 26 confirmed kills, including 4 balloons. He was outnumbered 3-to-1 on multiple occasions and once took on seven German aircraft alone, downing two. In 1930, his eighth Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. His record stood as the American standard until Richard Bong surpassed it in World War II. Rickenbacker later ran Eastern Air Lines and lived to see the jet age.