Highlands Hero Honored Again

SEBRING - Highlands County's most decorated war hero received another post-mortem honor this week.

On the Island of Negros in the Philippines, a large memorial marker was set on the crash site where the late Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. died in battle.

McGuire, a Highlands County native who won the Congressional Medal of Honor as a pilot in the Army Air Corps in World War II, died at that spot 63 years ago while on a mission that turned into a desperate dog fight.

McGuire, a Sebring High School graduate, still remains one of the most decorated American war heroes of all time.

The county building that houses the Highlands County Health Department on George Boulevard is named for McGuire. He also is honored in the Florida Medal of Honor Park on the front lawn of the health department building.

The statue and marker which dedicate the health department building in McGuire's name is on the lawn in front of the health department and close to the entrance to the Highlands County Veterans Services Office.

McGuire's photo, taken in his dress Army Air Corps uniform during World War II, hangs prominently on the wall of the Veterans Services Office intake area, near the desk of Veterans Services Administrative Assistant Mary Margaret Staik.

A biography of McGuire and his World War II exploits that earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor, among other combat honors, is titled "The Last Great Ace." Written by Charles Martin, the book is available at the Highlands County Public Library as well as local historical materials collections.

Martin also is a graduate of Sebring High School.

The special marker commemorating McGuire's fatal crash site on the island of Negros in the Philippines was placed there thanks to Martin. He was able to point out the location of the crash which took McGuire's life. Martin did that recently as he traveled with a group to Negros to excavate the McGuire crash site.

Martin said he hopes that some part of McGuire's crashed plane will end up in the Sebring Ridge Museum, a recently opened historical museum on Commerce Avenue near The Circle in downtown Sebring.

Martin lives near Jacksonville and will assist officials of Sebring Ridge Museum in obtaining part of the plane that McGuire died in for display at the museum, if possible.

See the related story, which details the last dogfight in which McGuire voluntarily gave up his life in a desperate attempt to save the lives of his Army Air Corps comrades.