César Luis González

A C-47 (C-53D) type of aircraft flown by Capt. Richard Ott and 2nd Lt. González First Lieutenant César Luis González (June 10, 1919 – November 22, 1943) was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Gonzalez was the first Puerto Rican pilot in the United States Army Air Forces, one of the first to participate in the July 1943 invasion of Sicily, and the first Puerto Rican pilot to die in World War II. His name is listed on the "Roll of Honor" of the 314th Troop Carrier Group World War II and his hometown Adjuntas and the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan, have honored his memory by naming a street after him.

Early years González (birth name: César Luis González Cardona ) was born to Felix Gonzalez and Augusta Cardona in the town of Adjuntas which is located in the mid-western section of Puerto Rico. He was one of five siblings who were raised in the family farm. González received his primary and secondary education at Escuela Secundaria Armstrong and Ponce High School in the town of Ponce.

His uncle wanted him to study engineering at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez, however he decided that he would prefer to become an aviator. González saved the money which he earned while working with his uncle with the intention of going to an aviation school in California.

González made use of the Civilian Pilot Training Program, a federal program which came about with the approval of the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938. The CPTP used the classrooms of the California Flyers School of Aviation at Inglewood, California, which was supported by government funds and which provided a pool of young civilian pilots who could be available for military service if war came. Executive Order 8974, which was signed on December 12, 1941, transferred the CPTP into a wartime program under the War Training Service (WTS). All WTS graduates were then required to sign a contract agreeing to enter the military following graduation.

World War II Upon the outbreak of World War II, González joined the United States Army and was assigned to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), a component of the United States Army, at Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he received advanced aviator training. The USAAF was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. After completing his training he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and assigned to the 12th Air Force / 52nd Troop Carrier Wing / 314 Troop Transport Group / 32nd Squadron. The 314th Transport Group was activated on March 2, 1942 and renamed 314th Troop Carrier Group in July 1942. The 314th used C-47's and C-53's in preparing for duty overseas and was moved to French Morocco of the Mediterranean theater in May 1943 and assigned to the 12th Air Force. Operating in Tunisia, the 32nd TCS successfully flew its first airborne assault on Sicily.

González was one of the initial participants of the invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943 also known as Operation Husky. Several advanced landing airfields were built by United States Army engineers in the area around the city of Gela which was used by the 12th Air Force during the Italian Campaign.

González's name is listed on the "Roll of Honor" of the 314th Troop Carrier Group World War II; 32nd, 50th, 61st, and 62nd Squadrons. and San Juan "Teniente Cesar González's Ave."

In 2020 César Luis González was posthumously inducted to the Puerto Rico Veterans Hall of Fame.

Awards and decorations Among González's awards and decorations were the following:

Awards:

WW II Army Air Force Pilot BadgePurple HeartAir MedalWorld War II Victory MedalAmerican Campaign MedalEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign MedalPresidential Unit Citation