Thomas J. Lynch

Thomas Joseph Lynch (December 9, 1916 – March 8, 1944) was a United States Army Air Forces lieutenant colonel and a flying ace of World War II. After joining the United States Army Air Corps in 1940, Lynch flew the Bell P-39 Airacobra with the 39th Pursuit Squadron. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron was deployed to Australia and then to Port Moresby in early 1942.

Lynch downed three Japanese planes while flying the P-39, and in June the squadron (now redesignated the 39th Fighter Squadron) was selected to be the first Fifth Air Force squadron to be reequipped with the new Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Lynch claimed two more victories in late December to become an ace. He became commander of the squadron in March 1943. By October Lynch had 16 victories. He went back to his hometown of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, and married. Returning to the Pacific, Lynch claimed four more victories, and was killed while strafing Japanese barges on 8 March 1944.