William Shomo shot down seven Japanese planes in one day and earned the Medal of Honor in early 1945. Shomo was a Captain in the 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, flying over New Guinea in support of MacArthur’s drive back to the Philippines.

Shomo trained as a mortician before the War before going the Army Air Force in August 1941. His squadron flew P-39 Aircobras and Curtiss P-40’s until December 1944. Though useful for ground attack and recon missions, these planes did not have the range to encounter Japanese aircraft.

The P-51 F-6D Mustang that Shomo was flying on January 11, 1945, named “The Flying Undertaker’, was a better airplane. Shomo and the squadron he now commanded were flying over Luzon to support the American landings in the Philippines.

On January 9, Shomo go this first kill, a “Val” dive bomber landing at the Japanese airfield on Tiguegarao. Two days later, he and his wingman, Paul Lipscomb, sited twelve Japanese planes – eleven Kawasaki Ki-61 “Tony” fighter planes, one Nakajima Ki-44 “Tojo” and G4M “Betty” bomber.

Shomo and Lipscomb immediately pulled Immelman turns, a very difficult technique to achieve, and positioned themselves behind the Japanese.

Shomo shot down five Japanese planes on his first pass and then spun around for second pass. He shot down two more Tony’s on the second pass.  

Shomo became an “ace-in-a-day”, shooting down seven planes in under six minutes of aerials combat. Lipscomb, meanwhile, shot down three of the other Japanese planes.

What’s remarkable is that Shomo flew over 200 combat missions but only saw fourteen enemy aircraft from his cockpit because he had only been flying a P-51 for a month. Of the fourteen enemy he sited, he shot down eight of them.

Shomo received the Medal of Honor on April 1, 1945 for his aggressive leadership and was promoted to Major. He stayed in the Air Force after the War, retiring in 1968. Please honor and remember William Shomo and his wingman, Paul Lipscomb.