Captain Edward Vernon Rickenbacker: The Most Successful American Ace In WWI

While the Germans had Manfred von Richthofen (Red Baron) and the French and British had Georges Guynemer and Albert Ball, Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was the most successful American pilot during WWI. French newspapers first used the term “flying ace” to describe Adolphe Clestin Pgoud after he scored seven kills during aerial combat. Sadly, Pgoud’s fame was short-lived, as he was shot down and killed by German flier Unteroffizier Otto Kandulsk on August 13, 1915.