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| USAAF 5th AF 475th FG 431st FS   431st FS December 1944   David Mason 2000  David Mason Jan 7, 2008  Justin Taylan July 7, 2024 |
Pilot Major
Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. O-437031 (MIA / KIA / BR) Ridgewood, NJ Crashed January 7, 1945 at 7:10am MACR 11589 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 422-5849. At the factory, completed with an unpainted aluminum finish with olive drab on the upper nose and inner sides of the engine nacelles for anti-glare. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38L-1-LO Lightning serial number 44-24845. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) and reassembled. Wartime History During October 1944 assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 475th Fighter Group (475th FG) "Satan's Angels", 431st Fighter Squadron (431st FS) "Hades". Assigned to pilot Captain Fred Champlin. Nicknamed "Eileen-Ann" after Champlin's wife, Eileen and mother, Ann. Squadron Number 112 was painted in red on the outer engine cowing and tail with red upper and lower tips on each tail. No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engines V-1710-113 and V-1710-111 serial numbers A-057604 and A-058935. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns manufactured by Buffalo Arms serial numbers 1304905, 1304776, 1304950, 1304500 also 20mm cannon manufactured by International Harvester serial number 123888. When lost, this aircraft had accumulated a total of 221 hours of flying time during 42 combat missions. On January 6, 1945 in the evening, McGuire planned a fighter sweep to search for enemy aircraft to shoot down, in hopes of scoring aerial victories to equal or exceed the forty aerial victories credited to Major Richard I. Bong who had already rotated back to the United States. For reasons unknown, McGuire did not fly his personal aircraft, P-38L "Pudgy V" 44-24155 on his final mission. Mission History On January 7, 1945 at 6:20am took off from Dulag Airfield on Leyte piloted by Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. leading "Daddy Flight" of four P-38s on a fighter sweep bound for Negros then Mindoro in hopes of finding Japanese aircraft to shoot down and add to McGuire's aerial victory credits. The weather was overcast with stratus layers from 1,500' to 6,000'. The four Lightnings flew in a four finger formation with flight leader McGuire in the no. 1 position. Flight wingman was P-38J 43-28836 pilot Major Jack B. Rittmayer in the no. 2 position. The element leader was P-38L "Doots" 44-24876 pilot Captain Edwin R. Weaver in the no. 3 position. The element wingman was P-38J "Miss Gee Gee" 43-28525 pilot 2nd Lt. Douglas S. Thropp, Jr. in the no. 4 position. Each plane had two drop tanks for maximum range. The P-38 formation flew at an altitude of roughly 2,000' over northwestern Negros and turned over Fabrica Airfield, but did not observe any Japanese planes in the air or on the ground. Next, they proceeded to Manapla Airfield (Caroline) where they spotted a bogey, Ki-43 Oscar pilot Sugimoto ahead and below but may not have been seen by McGuire. Also in the vicinity was Ki-84 Frank pilot Fukuda was preparing to land at Manapla Airfield (Caroline). Before intercepting, McGuire told the flight to "hold your tanks" (not to release their drop tanks) to retain fuel in anticipation of flying further and more combat or because he only saw the plane and did not anticipate a difficult fight. With drop tanks at low altitude, the P-38s were slower and less maneuverable. At the start of the combat, the Oscar attacked from 12 o'clock low then turned tightly to the right and may have fired on McGuire from behind. At 7:10am McGuire crashed. Precisely what caused him to crash is unknown. Most accounts claim McGuire turned too sharply while trying to get a deflection shot at the Ki-43 Oscar and it was assumed he snap-rolled to the left and hit the ground inverted from about 300'. The snap-roll theory for his crash is only an assumption as none of the American pilots witnessed McGuire crash, only a fire and explosion on the ground. Another theory is that he experienced a high speed stall at low altitude, flipped over and crashed. When McGuire failed to return he was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). After McGuire's loss, Major Jack B. Rittmayer took the lead and the three remaining P-38s chased Ki-43 Oscar pilot Sugimoto. Thropp managed to fire a burst at it that caused damage before it escaped into clouds and when safe force landed in a sugar cane field and was shot by Filipino guerrillas. Meanwhile, Ki-84 Frank pilot Fukuda armed with a 150kg bomb under his left wing was returning from a mission and preparing to land Manapla Airfield (Caroline). When he saw Ki-43 Oscar pilot Sugimoto engage in a dog fight with the P-38s, he aborted his landing and joined the air combat. As he arrived at roughly 7:10am, he saw a crashed plane burning [McGuire's crash] and made a head on pass targeting P-38J 43-28836 pilot Major Jack B. Rittmayer and shot him down at close range. Afterwards, he was fired on by Weaver and damaged. He managed to fire at Thropp but was again hit by Weaver and his engine began loosing power and disengaged. While landing at Manapla Airfield (Caroline) his landing gear collapsed ad his plane flipped over injuring him. Precisely what caused McGuire to crash is unknown. Most published accounts claim McGuire turned too sharply while trying to get a deflection burst into a Ki-43 Oscar and it was assumed he snap-rolled to the left and hit the ground inverted from about 300'. The snap-roll theory for his crash is only an assumption as none of the American pilots witnessed McGuire crash. Another theory is that he experienced a high speed stall at low altitude and crashed. Missing Air Crew Report 11589 (MACR 11589) states the loss of McGuire was a "loss attributed to enemy aircraft". Ki-43 Oscar pilot Sugimoto made a tight turn and may have fired on McGuire from the rear. Therefore, by U.S. Army Air Force aerial victory standards, Sugimoto could be credited for shooting down or causing McGuire to crash. Captain Edwin R. Weaver made a witness statement in Missing Air Crew Report 11589 (MACR 11589): "I last saw Major McGuire's plane at an altitude of less than 1,000 feet in an inverted position with the nose down about 30 degrees. Because of the altitude of my ship I then lost sight of him. Seconds later I saw the fire and explosion of his crashed plane. A more precise estimation of the situation is difficult, due to the violence of the action." Medal of Honor citation (G.O. No.: 24, 7 March 1946) related to McGuire's January 7, 1945 mission: "On 7 January 1945, while leading a voluntary fighter sweep over Los 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." Search Afterwards, no search was made for McGuire or Rittmayer. Recovery of Remains During the crash McGuire's body was severed on impact. After the fire subsided, Filipinos Agapito Flores and Carlos Dorin approached the crash and saw the top half the body near the creek and remembered a ring on the pilot's finger. Together, they recovered the body placed them into a wooden box to prevent the Japanese from finding the remains and secretly buried the box at Hacienda Progreso, near the plantation owner's house. Soon afterwards, a Japanese Army patrol arrived at the crash site and searched for the pilot's body and may have recovered some wreckage. In 1948, a team from American Graves Registration Service (ARGS) interviewed both Filipinos and recovered the boxed remains. Afterwards, the remains were transported to Manila to the American Graves Registration Service Mausoleum (AGRS Mausoleum) then shipped to the United States for permanent burial. Wreckage This P-38 crashed upside down hitting trees then crashed in a small ravine with a creek and exploded and burned. On the ground, Filipino eyewitnesses saw a "twin body" [P-38] upside down before hitting trees and crashing and burning intensely with nearly a full fuel tanks and drop tanks. Some of the wreckage may have been recovered by Filipinos or the Japanese Army patrol. Over the year, most of the large pieces of wreckage were scrapped or removed. During 2000, David Mason rediscovered the crash site and documented it. Using a metal detector he was able to dig up about two dozen small pieces of the Lightning within 12" of the surface and were heavily corroded. The pieces consist of a flight control cable pulley, an unfired 20mm bullet, unexpended .50 caliber shells and projectiles, a firing pin and breech assembly for a .50 caliber M2 machine gun, numerous Phillips head screws, flat head screws plus various nuts and bolts. Memorials McGuire was officially declared dead the day of the mission and was listed as Missing In Action (MIA) until his remains were recovered and identified. During January 1945 after McGuire went missing, San Jose Airfield was renamed "McGuire Drome" in his honor. On March 7, 1946 McGuire earned the Medal of Honor, posthumously for his actions between December 25, 1944–January 7, 1945 when lost in air combat over the Philippines. The medal was presented by General George C. Kenney to his father and widow Marilynn Elaine “Pudgy” at a ceremony at Paterson City Hall in Paterson, New Jersey. During 1948, Fort Dix Army Air Force Base in Wrightstown, New Jersey was renamed McGuire Air Force Base (McGuire AFB) in honor of McGuire. Today known as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Near the main gate is the Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. Memorial and displayed nearby is F-5G Lightning 44-53015 is painted in the markings of P-38L "Pudgy V" 42-66817 assigned to McGuire. On May 17, 1950, McGuire was buried at Arlington National Cemetery at section 11, grave 426-SH. Artifacts recovered from McGuire's crash site by David Mason in 2000 were donated to Clark Air Base Museum and put on public display. On January 7, 2008 on the 63rd anniversary of the crash, David Mason dedicated a memorial marker at the crash site on Negros. The plaque includes the Philippines flag, Medal of Honor, U.S. flag and pilots wings with a cross that McGuire's father wanted on his grave. The memorial is attached to a large rock quarried from Clark Field where McGuire flew missions and the base is concrete with stones from the nearby creek where the plane crashed. The inscription in in English and Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) reads: "A grateful Filipino nation solemnly marks this spot where American P-38 fighter pilot Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. was killed on 7 January 1945. It is eternally enshrined for where a man has shed his blood for liberty, justice, peace and freedom there is sacred ground. The sun cannot bleach, the wind can not blow, the rain cannot wash that sanctity away. From ground like this springs that which forever makes mankind great." References USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38L-1-LO Lightning 44-24845 "24845 (475th FG, 432st FS) shot down during fighter sweep over Negros Island Jan 7, 1945. MACR 11589" Missing Air Crew Report 11589 (MACR 11589) created January 8, 1945 Individual Combat Report (ICR) Captain Edwin R. Weaver January 7, 1945 Individual Combat Report (ICR) 2nd Lt. Douglas S. Thropp, Jr. January 7, 1945 Air Force Journal "Death of a Great Flyer" April 1945 The News "Body of Major McGuire, Air Ace, Found in Jungle 4 1/2 years After Plane Crashed" June 16, 1949 "Air Ace's Body Is Found Major T. B. McGuire of Ridgewood Killed in Philippine Fighting" June 16, 1949 "WASHINGTON, 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 Los Negros Island. 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. The Air Force’s top-ranking ace was Major Richard Bong, who downed forty enemy planes. He died in a crash after the war had ended." The News "Jersey Air Base Lasting Memorial Major McGuire" September 19, 1949 pages 1, 26 McGuire, Pacific Ace, Buried in Arlington May 17, 1950 WASHINGTON – 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 the Fifth 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. Kenny, 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. McGuire of Ridgewood, and his widow, now Mrs. Marilyn Stankowski of San Antonio, Texas." The Last Great Ace biography of Thomas McGuire McGuire's Last Mission by Caroll R. Anderson "What Really Happened to McGuire?" by David Mason via Wayback Machine January 27, 2012 The Search For The Crash Site of Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. by David Mason, 2000 McGuire Final Report: Investigation into the final combat mission of Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. (2009) by David J. Mason USAF Museum McGuire -- Maj Thomas B McGuire Jr (2014) biography ANC Explorer - Thomas B. McGuire, Jr (grave photos) FindAGrave - Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. (photos, grave photo) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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