Edward RickenbackerWhere are they fromEdward Rickenbacker was born on October 8, 1890. He was born in Columbus, Ohio. He was born to German-speaking Swiss immigrants. His original name was Edward Rickenbacher. He changed his last name to Rickenbacker. Some of the nicknames he had were Eddie and Fast Eddie. Edward always loved cars even at a young age. EducationEdward Rickenbacker did not receive a good education when he was a boy. He had to drop out of seventh grade after his father died. Even though he didn't go to school for a long time he was still very successful. After the war he became a spokesperson and supporter of conservative causes that the government's socialist programs were ruining the country. Jobs They Had Edward Rickenbacker had many jobs, but his first job ever was working with the Frayer Miller Aircooled Car Company. He then made his way into auto racing for Fred Deusenburg. He raced in the Indy 500 three times; broke the speed record of 134 mph in a Blitzen Benz. He earned $40,000 a year, which made him one of the most successful race car drivers of all time. Rickenbacker began pilot training at age 27, was made an engineer officer, and soon after moved to the front. After the war he wrote an autobiography. He owned many commercial airlines such as Eastern Airlines. He would later buy Eastern and become its president. He also had a car company named after him. Achievements His first major achievement was on April 29, when he had shot down his first enemy plane. Then his next great achievement was on May 30, 1918. He shot down two German airplanes which earned him the title of ace. In the month of September marked four…half of the cards…on which the structure of this nation was built are: Initiative, Imagination, Individuality and Independence.” The next quote shows you how much he cared about the fans. “When I was racing, I had learned that you can't give importance to public adoration or newspaper clippings. When I was 26, I had heard crowds of 100,000 people screaming my name, but a week later they couldn't remember who I was. You're a hero today and a bum tomorrow - hero to a fault, I say sometimes. “What is your overall opinion of the individual? My opinion of Edward Rickenbacker was that he was a hero of the Great War. In my opinion he may have been the most important person in World War I for the United States. He was the ace of aces for the United States. He is also my favorite war hero of World War I because he went through a difficult childhood and still managed to overcome his difficulties. He has managed to make it in life through hard work and dedication.