Here's a fun fact about the legendary Dallas Cowboys coach I learned today.

Dallas Cowboys and Sheppard Air Force Base Have a Few Connections

I've already talked about one of the Super Bowl champions from the 90's Dallas Cowboys teams training at Sheppard Air Force Base. You can read about Chad Hennings here. However today, we need to talk about the man that maybe one of the most important members of the Dallas Cowboys organization, EVER.

Tom Landry and His Wichita Falls Connection

We have talked many times about the Dallas Cowboys training camps that happened in Wichita Falls during the late 90's and early 2000's. However, Dallas Cowboys legend Tom Landry got his first ever military training right here in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Tom Landry Was Originally a Texas Longhorn

Tom Landry spent one semester at The University of Texas at Austin. However, he would dropout after receiving some devastating news. His only brother, Robert Landry, went missing in action when ferrying a B-17 bomber over England. The bomber went down over the Atlantic Ocean. After several weeks, Robert was declared dead. Tom enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps to honor his brother. Sometime around 1943, Tom would get his first military training at Sheppard Field in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Tom Landry in Military Uniform

What is Sheppard Field?

Nowadays in Wichita Falls, we're familiar with Sheppard Air Force Base. From 1941 to 1948 it was just named Sheppard Field. During World War II, Sheppard Field conducted basic training, and it also trained glider mechanics, technical and flying training instructors and B-29 Superfortress flight engineers. In addition to the basic flying training, the base also provided advanced pilot training. Tom Landry trained to be a co-pilot for B-17 bombers. He successfully did 30 bombing missions and also survived a crash landing when his plane ran out of fuel during one mission.

Just Another Random Wichita Falls Fun Fact for Your Day

If you didn't know, I love random Dallas Cowboys/Wichita Falls connections. Pretty cool that the greatest coach in Dallas Cowboys history spent a little time here back in the day.