Thomas McGuire
| Thomas Buchanan McGuire | |
|---|---|
 
Thomas B. McGuire (1941), Medal of Honor recipient
|
|
| Birth name | Thomas Buchanan McGuire, Jr. |
| Nickname(s) | "Tommy" |
| Born |
August 1, 1920 Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 1945 (aged 24) Negros, Visayas, Philippines |
| Buried at | Arlington National Cemetery (38°52′47″N 77°04′12″W / 38.879825°N 77.070004°WCoordinates: 38°52′47″N 77°04′12″W / 38.879825°N 77.070004°W) |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army Air Forces
|
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 475th Fighter Group, Fifth Air Force |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | |
| Memorials | Major Thomas B. McGuire Memorial, Negros |
| Spouse(s) | Marilynn Giesler |
Thomas Buchanan McGuire, Jr. (August 1, 1920 – January 7, 1945) was a United States Army major who was killed in action while serving as a member of the Army Air Forces during World War II and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He was one of the most decorated American fighter pilots and the second highest scoring American ace of the war.
McGuire was memorialized by the renaming of Fort Dix Army Air Force Base in Burlington County, New Jersey, to McGuire Air Force Base in 1948.
McGuire was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on August 1, 1920. He and his mother moved to Sebring, Florida in the late 1920s and McGuire graduated from Sebring High School in 1938. He enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology and joined Beta Theta Pi fraternity, but left after his third year to enter the U.S. Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program on July 12, 1941.
McGuire would become one of the top scoring combat pilots in U.S. Air Force history. Had it not been for periodic illnesses and the heavy administrative duties as Commander, 431st Fighter Squadron (from May to December 1944), he might have become the United States’ leading ace. Civilian contractor Charles Lindbergh bunked with him for a time and flew as his wingman on several missions. Visitors recalled McGuire ordering Lindbergh around, telling him to run errands as though he were a servant. McGuire wrote a book Combat Tactics In The Southwest Pacific Area, for Fifth Air Force, on 4 May 1944. On December 25–26, 1944, he downed seven Japanese fighter aircraft in just two days over Luzon, Philippines. With a total of 38 enemy planes destroyed to his credit in World War II, McGuire was only two victories behind Major Richard Bong.
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