Description:
Major Thomas Buchanan McGuire, Jr., was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on 1 August 1920, the only child of Pauline and Thomas B. McGuire, Sr. After living near Paterson, New Jersey, area where Mr. McGuire owned a Packard automobile dealership, he moved with his mother to Sebring, Florida, in 1930, after his parents separated (they subsequently divorced). After graduating Sebring High School, he entered the Georgia School of Technology (Georgia Tech) in September 1939 to study aeronautical engineering and to learn to fly. With America's entry into World War II, McGuire departed school in his junior year to join the United States Army Air Corps aviation cadet program and earned his wings in February 1942 at the primary flight training center at Corsicana, Texas. Because of his exceptional flying skills, he received fighter aircraft follow-on training on the Seversky P-35 and Curtiss P-40 with the 50th Pursuit Group at Key Field, Ms. He went to Alaska in June 1942 with the 54th Fighter Group, flying the P-39D Air Cobra on anti-submarine patrols from Marks Field, Nome, Alaska, and combat sweeps over enemy-held Kiska and Attu from Davis Field, Adak Island. Returning stateside in December 1942, McGuire was sent to Texas for training on a the P-38 Lightning. He also wed Marilynn G. Geisler, whom he had met on a blind date while in primary flight training. McGuire would nickname each of his P-38s "Pudgy,"--a nickname bestowed by her friends as an inside joke--in her honor and much to her surprise as she knew he wasn't fond of it. After completing P-38 training, McGuire was sent to Australia on 14 March 1943. Initially assigned to the 49 FG, 5th Air Force in New Guinea, a mixed P-38 & P-39 unit, he transferred on 19 July 1943 to the 431st Fighter Squadron, 475 FG, and all P-38 unit. On 18 August 1943, McGuire's unit was flying top cover for B-25 bombers striking at Wewak, New Guinea, one of the great air battles of World War II. During the battle, he shot down three Ki-43 Oscars and a Ki-61 Tony. In the repeat strike the next day, he downed two more Ki-43s, becoming an ace in two days after a year of flying with no combat opportunities. After the 475 FG moved to Hollandia, New Guinea, in May 44, McGuire first contracted dengue fever and then malaria, keeping him out of action until late September 1944. These illnesses dogged McGuire the rest of his life and kept him from flying at a critical time when enemy air activity was high. By then the 431 FS commander, the day-to-day burdens of leadership prevented Major McGuire from flying regularly, while Major Richard Bong, the other leading Pacific ace, was a gunnery instructor and flyings with different units, increasing his totals and keeping ahead of McGuire. At this time, however, Charles Lindbergh made an "inspection tour" of the Southwest Pacific combat zones for United Aircraft Corporation, maker of the F-4U Corsair. Interested in multi-engine fighter development, Lindbergh sought out the 475th and flew several combat missions with McGuire and others in the group during June-August 1944 as an "observer," scoring at least one victory over a Mitsubishi 51 "Sonia." After the invasion of the Leyte Island in the Philippines, the bombers and fighters moved up stages to Tacloban on the east coast of the island, battling through strong Japanese Air activity. McGuire and his 431 FS were ordered up on 30 October 1944. Only a mile from the field, he downed his 23rd enemy plane. The following day McGuire shot down two more of the enemy bringing his total to 25. At that time, he was flying "Pudgy V," a P-38L, and the friendly competition between Bong and McGuire was generating interest throughout the Pacific. General George Kenney, Commander, Far Eastern Air Forces, decided that Major Bong, who had 40 kills and had received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his overall accomplishments, bravery and skill, was too valuable to risk losing in combat.
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