Rickenbacker

Rickenbacker was one of the earliest race car drivers on the national circuit, competing against all the greats of that sport's infancy and eventually owning and running the Indianapolis Speedway. During World War I, he joined up, was sent to France with General Pershing's American Expeditionary Forces, and finally worked his way into the Air Services. He battled in the skies with Baron Manfred von Richtofen's Flying Circus, flew the most perilous missions, downed 26 enemy aircrafts, became America's Ace of Aces-earning nineteen decorations for bravery in action and was universally known as "Captain Eddie". After the war he went back to the automobile business, built his own company, joined General Motors. Eddie also won the right of way to buy Eastern Airlines from General Motors, served as a special confidential consultant to Secretary of the War. Heading out on a 1942 Pacific mission, he and his crew crashed into the sea. They spent an incredible 24 days and nights floating in rubber rafts until rescued.-from book cover.