Thomas W. Landry was born in Mission, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. Before his almost three-decade career coaching the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Piloting a B-17 Flying Fortress, Landry often flew missions deep into enemy territory and frequently returned his aircraft with minimum fuel. Between 1944 and 1945, he distinguished himself by flying 30 combat missions over heavily defended targets. His aviation training provided Landry with the strong leadership skills that served him well as coach of the Dallas Cowboys. After his coaching career, he returned to flying general aviation aircraft.