July 23, 1973, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, an automobile racer entered into World War I. He became a volunteer fighter pilot. Rickenbacker was responsible for shooting down several aircraft and balloons during the war. After the war, Rickenbacker became president of Eastern Airlines in 1938, after several unsuccessful attempts to operate an automobile company. In 1954, Rickenbacker, became chairman of the board at Eastern Air Lines until 1963