Kurt Wintgens earned his medal in July 1916 with as many as 22 total victories .
Kurt Wintgens is the first military aviator ever to down an enemy aircraft with a synchronized machine gun ( July 1915 ) .
Kurt Wintgens , the first military aviator ever to down an enemy aircraft with a synchronized machine gun ( July 1915 ) , earned his medal in July 1916 with as many as 22 total victories .