A World War I flying ace who later became president of Eastern Airlines, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker truly can be called an aviation pioneer.
His courage and heroics won him the Congressional Medal of Honor, and his dedication to aviation helped develop the commercial airline industry in the United States.
Born in Columbus in 1890, Rickenbacker left school at the age of 13 to support his mother, brothers and sisters after the death of his father.
Following his death in 1973, Lockbourne Air Force Base was renamed in honor of the man who gave so much of himself to better his native country, state, and city.