On Monday evening, Airforce legend Chuck Yeager who was dubbed as the “the fastest man alive,” passed away at 97 years old and is survived by his wife, Victoria Yeager.

His wife wrote the announcement using his own Twitter account, “It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9 pm ET.” Victoria shared that Yeager had lived an “incredible life” as one of American’s greatest pilots. She believed that the legendary pilot will always be remembered for his strength, patriotism, and his strong sense of adventure.

In an interview for CNN, his close friend, John Nicoletti, confirmed that Yeager had undergone physical changes that were a result of his health complications from his old age.

In 1985, Yeager received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Most importantly, he made history in 1947 for being the first person to break the sound barrier aboard the Bell X-1 rocket he named “Glamorous Glennis.” Eventually, Yeager earned the title of the “fastest man alive” as he flew at a speed of 700 mph. In his self-titled memoir, Yeager admitted that his entire experience was a huge “letdown.” He detailed his experience, noting that “this mission had to end in a letdown because the real barrier wasn’t in the sky but in our knowledge and experience of supersonic flight.”

The legendary Air Force pilot began his career in 1941. Two years later, he was assigned to fight in combat missions against Nazi Germany, where he was truck down over France and was saved from capture by the French Resistance. Yeager was so well accomplished that on two separate occasions, he was able to shoot down four enemy planes all in one day.

After the Second World War, Yeager also flew in combat missions during the Korean and Vietnam wars. At that time, he was noted as being the first pilot to make an emergency ejection from high-altitude flights. After his retirement from the force, Yeager continued to play an important role in serving as an adviser for the government and aerospace industry.

Both Democrat and Republican politicians have also expressed their deep sympathies for Yeager’s passing. In a social media post, Sen. Joe Manchin called Yeager an “American hero.” He also recognized Yeager’s lengthy service, from being a World War II pilot to his missions in Vietnam. He continued by saying that when Yeager broke the sound barrier, he had also broken the limits of what was thought to be possible.

In addition, one of the members of President Donald Trump’s legal team also extended his prayers for Yeager.