23 JUL--This Day in US Military History

1973 – Eddie Rickenbacker, World War I flying ace, died in Zurich, Switzerland at the age of 82.

Known as a race-car driver before World War I, he became America’s premier flying ace during the war and returned home to a hero’s welcome. Declining offers from the aviation industry and even Hollywood, Rickenbacker decided to lend his name to a car company, although he played a negligible role in the company’s management and eventually resigned his position there. Without his high-flying name behind the product, Rickenbacker Motors crashed and burned. Later he and several associates bought Eastern Airlines in 1938 and guided it to become one of the most profitable airlines in the postwar era.

https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2005/07/24/july-23/