Rickenbacker His Own Story Author:Edward V. Rickenbacker At story of a man who quit school at 12 to support his family and now has 14 honorary degrees. A man who became a daring auto racer and went on to buy the Indianapolis Speedway where he raced. During WWI he downed 26 enemy planes, he crash landed in the Pacific in WWII and led his plane's crew in a 24 day struggle for survival.