475th's Aces

McGuire's first assignment was to the 54th Pursuit Group in Nome, Alaska, where he served until 16 October 1942. On 14 March 1943 he departed for the Pacific and the beginning of a brilliant combat career. Assigned initially to the 49th Fighter Group, he was transferred to the 431st Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group on 20 July.

Flying a P-38H with "Pudgy" emblazoned across its nose, McGuire shot down two Zekes and a Tony near Wewak, New Guinea on 18 August. Three days later he destroyed two more Zekes and damaged a twin-engine fighter to become an ace. By the end of the month he had added four more to his score and made no secret of the fact that he wanted to surpass Dick Bong's steadily climbing record.

Downing Japanese aircraft in multiples, McGuire himself was shot down and wounded on 17 October after downing three Zekes near Buna. Back in the saddle in December, he shot down three Vals over Cape Gloucester on the 26th .  By 17 December he had 31 to Bong's 40. General Kenney sent Bong home and temporarily grounded McGuire. He returned to combat with a vengeance, destroying three Zekes on Christmas Day and four more on the 26th.

McGuire's hope of forty victories was never realized. Attacking a Zeke at tree-top altitude over Negros Island on 7 January 1945, he entered a high speed stall and crashed into the jungle.