Dominic Salvatore Gentile
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| Dominic Salvatore Gentile | |
|---|---|
| December 6, 1920 – January 28, 1951 (aged 30) | |
 'Don' Gentile on the wing of his P-51B, 'Shangri-La' |
|
| Nickname | "Don" |
| Place of birth | Piqua, Ohio |
| Place of death | Dayton, Ohio |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Force United States Air Force |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 133 Squadron RAF, 4th Fighter Group USAAF (336th Fighter Squadron) |
| Battles/wars | NW Europe |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Flying Cross (U.K.) Air Medal |
Major Dominic Salvatore "Don" Gentile (December 6, 1920 - January 28, 1951) was an officer in the United States Army Air Force and, later, the United States Air Force (USAF).
His decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation (US), the World War Two Victory Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, the British Star, the Eagle Squadron Crest, and other foreign medals.
Gentile originally enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was posted to the UK in 1941, flying the Supermarine Spitfire with 133 Squadron, one of the famed "Eagle Squadron" during 1942, before the U.S. entered the war. He claimed two kills in his time with the squadron.
In September 1942, the Eagle squadrons transferred to the USAAF, becoming the 4th Fighter Group. Gentile became a flight commander in September 1943, now flying the P-47 Thunderbolt. Having been Spitfire pilots, Gentile and the other pilots of the 4th were displeased when they transitioned to the heavy P-47. By late 1943 Group Commander Col. Don Blakeslee pushed for re-equipment with the lighter, more maneuverable, P-51 Mustang. Conversion to the P-51B in early 1944 allowed Gentile to build an impressive tally of 15 additional aircraft destroyed during January-April 1944. He was the top scoring 8th Air Force ace when he crashed his personal P-51, named "Shangri La", on April 13, 1944 while stunting over the 4th FG's airfield at Debden for a group of assembled press reporters and movie cameras.
Col. Blakeslee immediately grounded Major Gentile as a result, and he was sent back to the US for a tour selling War Bonds.
His final score was 21.8 air kills, with 6 ground kills.
After the war, he stayed with the Air Force, as a test pilot at Wright Field, as a Training Officer in the Fighter Gunnery Program, and as a student officer at the Air Tactical School. In January 1951, he was killed when he crashed in a Lockheed T-33 trainer.
Gentile Air Station in Kettering, Ohio was named in his honor in 1962. The installation closed in 1996.
Winston Churchill called Maj. Gentile and his wingman, Capt. John T. Godfrey, Damon and Pythias, after the mythical, Greek heroes.
[edit] References
- Jablonski, Edward. Airwar, (1971), Doubleday and Co., Inc.
