Thomas J. McGory was born on April 23, 1915, in Cortland, Cortland County, New York. He was the son of Thomas Lawrence McGory and Mary E. McGory. Before joining the military, he worked at Smith Corona and served as the Dryden Fire Department Chief for seven years. He served in the 846th Bomber Squadron, 489th Bomber Group, as a Technical Sergeant and Top Turret Gunner during World War II.

Thomas's B-24 bomber was shot down over Hamburg on its 25th mission, leading to nine months of captivity as a POW in Stalag Luft IV in Braunau, near Krems, Austria. He survived the infamous "Death March" across Germany, an 83-day journey in which many of his comrades perished.

After the war, McGory returned to Dryden and resumed his role as Fire Chief before joining Cornell University as an Assistant Athletic Trainer. He became Head Athletic Trainer in 1967 and served as an Assistant Baseball Coach for nearly two decades. Honored with several accolades, including induction into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, McGory's legacy also includes his involvement in various civic organizations and his contributions to youth sports. Thomas died on June 26, 2007, and is now buried in the East Lawn Cemetery, Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, USA.

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com, www.findagrave.com