Gene Autry was born on September 29, 1907, in Tioga, Texas. He was a professional singer beginning in 1929, and began acting in 1934. Autry had starred in 55 films and had recorded over 30 singles before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Forces on July 26, 1942. He was sworn into the Army Air Forces as a Tech Sergeant on his Melody Ranch Radio Show broadcast on that day, and then completed basic training at Santa Ana Army Air Base, California. He then changed his radio show from the Melody Ranch to the Sgt. Gene Autry radio show from August 1942 to August 1943. Because he had obtained his private pilot's license, TSgt Autry was accepted for pilot training as a Service Pilot, and was trained at Luke Field and Thunderbird Field, Arizona, before serving as an enlisted Service Pilot with the 3rd Ferrying Group at Romulus Army Air Field, Michigan, from March to June 1944. His next assignment was as a Service Pilot with the 91st Ferrying Squadron of the 555th Army Air Base Unit at Love Field, Texas, from June 1944 to April 1945, and during this time he was commissioned a Flight Officer in the Army Air Forces on June 21, 1944. He flew at least one mission to the China-Burma-India Theater during this time. He then served with the Special Services Division of the Army Service Forces to entertain the troops from April 1945 until he was honorably discharged from the Army Air Forces on June 18, 1945. After leaving active duty, Autry returned to his music recording and film career, and retired from the entertainment industry in 1964. He was the founding owner of the Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball team in 1961, and he served as Vice President of the American League of Major League Baseball from 1983 to 1998. Gene Autry Flew West on October 2, 1998, and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California.