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Before becoming the ace of aces, Richthofen began his military career as a cavalry officer. Initially enthralled by visions of heroic cavalry charges, he quickly found himself relegated to a rear-area soldier as World War I devolved into trench warfare.
On April 20, 1918, he shot down his 79th and 80th kills, cementing his legacy as a remarkable fighter pilot in a time when modern warfare was dominated by mechanical warfare rather than the romanticism of horse-mounted cavalry. Looking for an outlet to prove his mettle, Richthofen switched gears and joined the German Air Service.