This is a guy who I think an Elon Musk or a Tom Brady could only envy or admire. Eddie Rickenbacker, the top American ace of World War I with 26 kills, earned the Medal of Honor for his actions on this day 105 years ago, when he attacked seven German planes, shooting down two of them. Originally a Distinguished Service Cross, the award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 1930.

Rickenbacker’s father was killed in a brawl when Eddie was 14 years old, and Rickenbacker had to replace his family’s lost income. He took a correspondence course in engineering and talked his way into jobs at automobile companies, eventually working for Harvey Firestone, and eventually started racing himself to promote the cars he was building and selling. He became a nationally famous face car driver by the start of World War I.

When the United States entered the War, Rickenbacker volunteered as a driver and was one of the first Americans in France. A chance encounter led him to flying, and he soon was training at the French flight school, under the mentorship of the French ace, Raoul Lufbery.

Rickenbacker went on to shoot down 26 enemy planes during the War, earning. Distinguished Service Cross that was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 1930. After the War, he started and ran many auto and airplane companies. When World War II started, he strongly supported Britain, and then supported the American war effort after Pearl Harbor. He survived 24 days of being lost at sea when his B-17 crashed during a tour of Pacific bases, and later was an envoy to the USSR.

Honor and remember this great American by reading his Medal of Honor citation. 

And take motivation from his incredible story of hard work, calculated risk taking and belief in America!