Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. World War II Ace Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. In a prominent place in the foyer of the Sebring High School, is a photograph of an Air Force officer and below it is the following inscription: The late ThomasB. McGuire, whose memoryis preserved bythe naming of McGuire Air Force Base, wasborn in Ridgewood, New Jersey,onAugust 1, 1920. He graduated from Sebring High School in 1938 and attended the GeorgiaSchool ofTechnologyandenteredthe UnitedStatesArmyAir Corps in1941. InFebruary1942,he wascommissioned asaSecond Lieutenant and was rated a pilot. During World WarIIhe was assigned to the FifthAirForce,where he received honorsincluding the Purple Heart with one cluster, theAir Medal with nine clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with five clusters, the Silver Star with two clusters, the Distinguished Service Cross,the CongressionalMedal of Honor, all for gallantryin action against the Japanese. His battle citations include the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with eight battle stars, the American Defense Medal, American Campaign Medal and the VictoryMedal. Major McGuire lost hislife in the service of his countryon January7, 1945, while flyingover NegrosIslandinthe Philippines. Itwasfor his extraordinary gallantryand action beyond the call of duty on this final mission and for shooting down seven Japanese aircraft in aerial combat over Luzon on December 25 and 26, 1944, that he was posthumously awarded the CongressionalMedalof Honor. Major McGuire destroyed thirtyeightenemy aircraft in aerial combat and was one of the most skillful and courageous airmen of World War II. Reprinted from Bulletin Number Four. Sebring Historical Society, January 1970. Pg. 107. All photos are on file at the Sebring Historical Society Archives with the exception of those bearing a photo source notation. Tommie - 6mos old with his mother,Polly Tommie - childhood portraits Tommiewith his BB gun Tommie with grandfather Watson Tommielearning to golf Tommie and his canoe Tommie- Lake Jackson in background The family at Highlands Hammock State Park McGuire home at 10 Kenilworth Blvd (nolonger standing) Garage with upstairs apartment (see pg 31 in “The Last Great Ace”) Kenilworth Lodge viewed from McGuire home Sebring High School Band Thomas McGuire in Georgia Tech band uniform Tommie whilehome from collegewith Jeff, the Boston Terrier, Dec. 1940. RobertHiggins,Tommie’s mother(Polly)and Tommie atGeorgia Tech, Summer 1941. Georgia Tech - Beta Theta Pi (Tommie is back row 2nd from end on right) Lt. and Mrs. Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. Taken the dayaftertheir wedding, Dec 5, 1942. Taken at Randolph Field basic training Taken at Kelly Field graduation (USAAF Photo) Pudgywas the Lockheed P-38 airplane named after McGuire’s wife Above is Pudgy III with 21 victories Pudgy IV with at least 22 victories Maj. McGuire with Charles A. Lindbergh See chapters 33-35 in “The Last Great Ace” McGuire and Lindbergh at Biak Island off New Guinea, c. July 1944. McGuire in center (a similar photo is on pg 251 in “The Last Great Ace”) Howard McDonald, Tommie McGuire, Bill Dutton, Jr and Junor Bates (in New Guinea) All four are Sebring High School graduates serving in WWII in the Pacific theater. Pudgy V with 25 victories Another picture of Pudgy III with 21 victories The burial of Maj. Thomas B. McGuire, Jr., May 17, 1950. Arlington National Cemetery (Section 11, Grave 426) AIR ACE’S BODY IS FOUND Major T. B. McGuire of Ridgewood Killed in Philippine Fighting WASHINGTON, June 16, 1949 – The Air Force announced today that it had recovered the body of Major Thomas B. McGuire of Ridgewood, New Jersey, who had thirty-eight Japanese planes to his credit when he was shot down in the Philippines over four years ago. His body was among the war dead arriving at San Francisco on an Army transport. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery. He was listed as missing for four years after he disappeared during combat over the Negros Islands. He was last seen going to the aid of a fellow flier who was outnumbered by enemy planes. Early this year a graves registration team found his body, today’s announcement said. Nearby was the wreckage of a P-38 identified as the plane he had been flying. New Jersey’s only Air Force Base, McGuire Field at Fort Dix, was named after Major McGuire. TheAir Force’s top-ranking acewas Major Richard Bong, who downed forty enemy planes. He died in a crash after the war had ended. MCGUIRE, PACIFIC ACE, BURIED IN ARLINGTON WASHINGTON, May 17, 1950 – Major Thomas B. McGuire, Medal of Honor winner during the war in the Pacific, was reburied with military honors in Arlington National Cemetery today. Seven BV-25 medium bombers flew over as theFifth Air Force ace, a native of Ridgewood, New Jersey, was laid to rest in the presence of his family and members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation. General George C. Kenney, Major McGuire’s commander in the South Pacific, was chief honorary pall bearer. The P-38 fighter pilot was killed after he had shot down thirty eight Japanese planes in action. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry over Luzon, Philippine Islands, on Christmas Day, 1944. He was killed two weeks later in the same area attempting to aid a comrade under fire by Japanese planes. The services today were attended by his father, Thomas B. McGuireof Ridgewood, and his widow, now Mrs. Marilyn Stankowski of San Antonio, Texas. Gen. George C. Kenney -Award Ceremony- Congressional Medal of Honor Patterson, NJ - May 8, 1946 Gen.George C.Kenneypresenting Tommie’s Medal ofHonor to Marilyn Thomas B. McGuire, Sr (left) and Marilyn McGuire (center) McGUlRE, THOMAS B., JR. (Air Mission) Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps, 13th Air Force. Place and date: Over Luzon, Philippine Islands, 2526 December 1944. Entered service at: Sebring, Florida. Birth: Ridgewood, New Jersey. G.O. No.: 24, 7 March 1946. Citation: He fought with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity over Luzon, Philippine Islands. Voluntarily, he led a squadron of 15 P-38’s as top cover for heavy bombers striking Mabalacar Airdrome, where his formation was attacked by 20 aggressive Japanese fighters. In the ensuing action he repeatedly flew to the aid of embattled comrades, driving off enemy assaults while himself under attack and at times outnumbered 3 to 1, and even after his guns jammed, continuing the fight by forcing a hostile plane into his wingman’s line of fire. Before he started back to his base he had shot down 3 Zeros. The next day he again volunteered to lead escort fighters on a mission to strongly defended Clark Field. During the resultant engagement he again exposed himself to attacks so that he might rescue a crippled bomber. In rapid succession he shot down 1 aircraft, parried the attack of 4 enemy fighters, 1 of which he shot down, single-handedly engaged 3 moreJapanese, destroying 1, and then shot down still another, his 38th victory in aerial combat. On 7 January 1945, whileleading a voluntary fighter sweep over Negros Island, he risked an extremely hazardous maneuver at low altitude in an attempt to save a fellow flyer from attack, crashed, and was reported missing in action. With gallant initiative, deep and unselfish concern for the safety of others, and heroic determination to destroy the enemy at all costs, Maj. McGuire set an inspiring example in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service. Dedication of McGuire AFB - T.B. McGuire, Sr and Gen. George C. Kenney - Sept 17, 1949. “Daddy Mac” admiring the portrait of Tommie. The portrait was a gift to McGuire Sr. from Marilyn - June 1958. McGuire Air Force Base THOMAS BUCHANAN MCGUIRE, JR. MAJOR, UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS Born on August 1, 1920 at Ridgewood, New Jersey, he grew up there and in Sebring, Florida. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1941 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps, completing his aviation training and received promotion to Captain early in 1942. After service in the United States and Alaska he was ordered in March 1943 to the 49th Fighter Group of the 5th United States Air Force, then operating in the Southwest Pacific Area and in particular providing an early air screen for Darwin and Northern Australia. Subsequently he was transferred to the 475th Fighter Group, 13th Air Force, where he won promotion to Major. He was already a leading ace with a record of 31 Japanese planes shot down when he volunteered on December 5, 1944 to lead a squadron of P-38s on a bomber escort mission over Mabalacar Airdrome on Luzon, Philippines. He shot down 3 of 20 Japanese Zero fighters that attacked his squadron. The next day, on a similar mission over Clark Field, near Manila, he exposed himself in order to draw fire away from a crippled bomber and shot down 3 of the 4 fighters that were attacking it. Another score on his way home that day brought his total to 38. On January 7, 1945, while leading a flight of four P-38s over Negros Island, he attempted a highly-dangerous maneuver in order to aid a comrade who was losing an encounter with a Japanese Zero and crashed. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in March 1946 for his actions on December 25-26, 1944 and January 7, 1945. His score of 38 enemy kills made him the second leading American fighter pilot of World War II, following Major Richard Bong. McGuire Air Force Base in his home state of New Jersey was named in his honor. He is buried in Section 11 of Arlington National Cemetery. USAAFpilots Col. MacDonald andAl Nelson in the Pacific with MacDonald’s P-38J Lightning aircraft “Putt Putt Maru”, 1944 (Photo source: ww2db.com) Ground crew members of USAAF 459th Fighter Squadron working on a P-38 Lightning aircraft, Jan 1945 (Photo source: ww2db.com) Lt.