José Quiñones Gonzales


José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzáles was a Peruvian military aviator and posthumously became a national hero for his actions at Zarumilla, during the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War, also known as the War of '41.

Combat History

Lieutenant Quiñones was a fighter pilot of the 41st Escuadrilla, Peruvian Air Force, and was part of a section carrying out a low-level strafing/bombing attack against Ecuadorian forces at Quebrada Seca on July 23, 1941. During the raid, Quiñones' aircraft, a North American NA-50 "TORITO", was mortally hit by ground fire from a battery of Ecuadorian anti-aircraft artillery.
According to Peruvian accounts, instead of parachuting to safety, Quiñones chose to make the supreme sacrifice by crashing his damaged aircraft onto the Ecuadorian position, rendering the battery out of action. This version of events has been subsequently called into question by Ecuadorian military authorities, who have stated that there were no anti-aircraft guns in the area.

Posthumous

Following his death, Quiñones was promoted to the rank of Air Force Captain and he was declared a national hero by law on May 10, 1966. Named in his honour is the FAP Captain José Abelardo Quiñones González International Airport near his town of birth in Chiclayo. When the new currency of Peru was introduced in 1991, Gonzales appeared on the 10 sol Banknote.