Notable people · Aviation
Don Gentile
Piqua-born fighter pilot of the 4th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force, credited with 19.83 aerial victories in World War II. He died in a 1951 training crash.
At a glance
- Born
- 1920-12-06
- Died
- 1951-01-28
- Known as
- Aviation
- Organizations
- US Army Air Forces, 4th Fighter Group
Life story
Dominic Gentile was born in Piqua, Ohio, in 1920 to Italian immigrant parents and taught himself to fly, logging over 300 hours before military training.
He flew with the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941-42, scored his first kills at Dieppe on August 19, 1942, and moved to the USAAF's 4th Fighter Group, flying P-47s and then P-51 Mustangs. On March 8, 1944, he shot down six Bf 109s with his wingman on the mission that won him a Distinguished Service Cross.
After the war he stayed in the Air Force as a test pilot and training officer. He married Isabella Masdea in 1944; they had three sons. He was killed in a T-33 trainer crash near Forestville, Maryland, on January 28, 1951, and is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Lockbourne. Piqua dedicated a statue of him in 1986.
Timeline
- 1920-12-06: Born (Piqua, OH) source
- 1941: Joins Royal Canadian Air Force (Canada) source
- 1942-08-19: First kills at Dieppe (Dieppe, France) source
- 1942-09: Transfers to the USAAF (England) source
- 1944-03-03: First P-51 victory (Do 217) (Europe) source
- 1944-03-08: Six Bf 109s downed with his wingman (Europe) source
- 1944-04-13: Crashes P-51 Shangri-La while buzzing his airfield (England) source
- 1944-11: Marries Isabella Masdea (US) source
- 1951-01-28: Killed in T-33 crash (Forestville, MD) source
- 1986-07-06: Statue dedicated (Piqua, OH) source
- 1995: Inducted into National Aviation Hall of Fame (Dayton, OH) source
What Don is known for
- 19.83 confirmed aerial victories (he claimed more)
- Flew P-51 Mustangs; downed six with wingman John Godfrey on 8 Mar 1944
- National Aviation Hall of Fame 1995
- 19.83 confirmed aerial victories
Honors and things named for them
- Distinguished Service Cross
- National Aviation Hall of Fame, 1995
- Statue, Piqua, OH (1986)
- Gentile Air Force Station, Kettering, OH (1962-1996)
- Gentile Nature Park (opened 2024)
Family
- wife: Isabella Masdea
- son: Don Jr.
- son: Joseph
- son: Pasquale
Places in Ohio to see
- Don Gentile statue (statue)
114 E High St, Piqua, Miami County ZIP 45356 (approximate) · Piqua · Miami County · official page - St. Joseph Cemetery (grave) (grave)
Lockbourne, Franklin County ZIP 43137 (approximate) · Lockbourne · Franklin County
Ohio places
Where Don Gentile was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Piqua, Miami County ZIP 45356 · Piqua · Miami County
- Buried: Lockbourne (St. Joseph Cemetery), Franklin County ZIP 43137 · Lockbourne · Franklin County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: His number of air victories differs by tally: he claimed 30, while the official count is 19.83.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Don Gentile (Wikipedia) born Piqua, died Forestville MD, victories, statue 1986, burial Lockbourne