José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzáles (April 22, 1914 – July 23, 1941) was a Peruvian military aviator and posthumously became a national hero for his actions at the Battle of Zarumilla during the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War of 1941. Early life Quiñones was born in the port of Pimentel on April 22, 1914. His parents were José María Quiñones Arízola and María Juana Rosa Gonzales Orrego. He was the third legitimate child of three brothers. His primary studies were at a local school run by nuns, and then at the Colegio Nacional San José de Chiclayo. The rector of the school, Karl Weiss, promoted gliding, an activity that Quiñones, along with other classmates, had become fond of, excited by the exploits of outstanding figures of Peruvian civil aviation, such as Jorge Chávez and Juan Bielovucic. In 1928, by decision of his parents, he moved to Lima and began his secondary education at the Colegio Sagrados Corazones Recoleta, until the second year in 1929. He finished his remaining years at the Colegio Nacional Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, attending from 1930 to 1932. Despite his parents' fierce opposition, he decided to join the Peruvian Air Force. Military career In 1935, he entered the Jorge Chávez Central Aviation School as a cadet and joined the Comandante CAP José Lucas Raguz Verán class. In officers' school he stood out for his ability to adapt to different piloting and aviation techniques. Four years after entering, he was received as an ensign on January 21, 1939, as the first of his promotion in the specialty of fighter pilot. In merit of this, he received the "Golden Wing" of the Air Force. It was precisely in the aerial display that he gave on his graduation day that he amazed those present with an inverted flight almost one meter above the ground, which can still be seen on film today. As an aviation officer he was assigned to the No. 4 Squadron in Ancón. After four months, he was transferred to the Las Palmas base and from there to the 21st Fighter Squadron of the First Air Group, located in the city of Chiclayo. He had a dog named Hawk, who he took with him when he flew. Quiñones was part of the 41st (forty-first) Squadron of North American NA-50 aircraft and was part of the first High Aerobatics Squadron. When the paratrooper unit was created and after intense training, he