Captain Eddie Rickenbacker US WW1 Ace of Aces Speaks 

Eddie Rickenbacker was born in Columbus, Ohio. You’ve probably already heard of him, so we’ll just focus on a few of the highlights.

“Fast Eddie” was a well-known driver who raced in the Indianapolis 500 four times, before becoming the quintessential fighter ace. During World War I, he earned a record 300 combat hours and 26 victories over formidable German opponents.

Clearly, he already has a position in the Badass Hall of Fame, but did you hear about the seagull?

In 1942, he was sent to personally deliver a secret message to General Douglas MacArthur, when the plane he was on crashed in the Pacific. For 24 days, Rickenbacker and crew were lost at sea. On the eighth day, five days after their food supplies ran out, he caught a seagull that landed on his head and used it as bait to help them survive until they were, ultimately, rescued and his message could be delivered.

Little known fact: Eddie Rickenbacker scripted a comic strip.