A Tiger Zoo--Flying Tigers AVG, CBI, & 23rd Fighter Grouping + Other PTO ETO Heroes

[josesharontraders]

The 3rd Pursuit Squadron ¨Hell's Angels¨.

 

 

[josesharontraders]

Roster Of The American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers.

 

 

[josesharontraders]

The AVG In The Airfields Of Toungoo, Burma (British Empire):

 

 

The Day Before Evacuating Burma For Kunming, China Up The Burma Road, RT Smith in his diary mentions how the ground crews hurriedly drove down from Toungoo to Rangoon to salvage medicines, supplies, and parts from the British who were tipping all the shipping containers into the sea to prevent the Japanese Kwangtung Army from getting their hands on the prize port & depot.

 

 

More stuff. We cannot discount the immense contribution of the Chinese in defending their country, building airfields all over China for the Flying Tigers to land and using thousands to rebuild runways stone by stone with their sweat. Then and until now, China remembers how the AVG saved their cities and lives by scaring off the Japanese Imperial Air Force.

 

Irony. Even though it is no longer the Kuomintang that runs China, there is common eternal gratitude by the Communist China Government & Taiwan for the deeds of the AVG. Until today, there are many sponsors from China and Taiwan who approach the Flying Tigers AVG Association to help and remind America that there was in history of war a close relationship forged by fire between the two nations.

 

 

Near the end of the reunion pamphlet.

 

 

And finally. Whew.

 

[josesharontraders]

A very old photo of a P-40 Warhawk of the Flying Tigers American Volunteer Group in July 1942, as it was turned over to the incoming and almost prepared CATF (China Air Task Force) yard at Kunming. I wonder who flew this Hell's Angels fighter plane #67 of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron?

 

At that time U.S. bomber planes were arriving by the dozens from over the hump in India.

 

 

[firefighter]

JOSE, the 23rd was an A-10 unit.It was the first time since WW2 that all three of her squadrons were together again. 74th, 75th, & 76th TFS's.Made to Subic a lot, was at Clark for 25months. We had a S*i* Bridge too. Made several trips over both.I bought a CENTURION patch awhile back, PI made not a recent copy.Best 2yrs of my life, I was 20-22 years old.Young, dumb & full of........FUN!!

[josesharontraders]

Here is a circa 1957 AVG Flying Tigers Reunion Photo, the year before General Clare Lee Chennault, the leader of the flying tigers, died. The General is the tall figure near the front and centre behind his wife, Anna Chennault.

 

 

[josesharontraders]

JOSE, the 23rd was an A-10 unit.It was the first time since WW2 that all three of her squadrons were together again. 74th, 75th, & 76th TFS's.Made to Subic a lot, was at Clark for 25months. We had a S*i* Bridge too. Made several trips over both.I bought a CENTURION patch awhile back, PI made not a recent copy.Best 2yrs of my life, I was 20-22 years old.Young, dumb & full of........FUN!!

Firefighter, man, you are soon funny. I visited there too many times but can't elaborate. Hahahahah....yes, Señor, the best years of our lives in the late 70s and very early 80s.

 

Un Gran Saludo,

 

Jose

[josesharontraders]

More '57 Reunion photos:

 

 

[firefighter]

Firefighter, man, you are soon funny. I was there too many times but can't elaborate. Hahahahah....yes, Señor, the best years of our lives in the early 80s.

 

Un Gran Saludo,

 

Jose

 

Yup. 84-86.

I was there durn a couple of strikes, one the bar girls broke up, no business.Was also there for the PEOPLE POWER movement, overthrow of Marcos.I think everyone should live threw one of them.

Jose, were you Navy or AF? I was a medic and worked the USAF RMCC.

 

[firefighter]

Jose, Are you on Facebook? If so there is a nice group of AAF/AF collectors.

[josesharontraders]

The 1992 Awards & Recognition By The USA, finally, Of the Flying Tigers AVG Service To The Nation.

 

 

[Patchcollector]

Jose,

Thanks for more info.Browsing throughout the pages that you posted I have several comments;first,the many young faces,wow,what it must have been like to be a young man in that place during that period of history.Quite the adventure I'm sure as many of the guys probably had never left their hometowns before.

 

I hope that Hollywood will revisit this subject and make a new movie about the Flying Tigers.With all the CGI available now I think that the result would be quite spectacular.

Last but not least,I love that crazy Tiger print jacket that Duke is wearing in post # 104

[josesharontraders]

First photo is of the crossing of the Salween River Gorge & Second photo is of the Burma Road:

 

 

 

 

[josesharontraders]

The Leader Of The Flying Tigers. Oh, how his men so admired the ¨old man¨, General Clare Lee Chennault.

 

Gen. Chennault: ¨There Were No Obstacles Between The Japanese And Kunming But A Broken Bridge And The A.V.G.¨ He was the one who told his men early on that they'd have to do their best with a net 55 plus P-40E Warhawks equipped with the new wing bomb racks--which AVG armorers improvised to hold Russian high explosive bombs--against the overwhelming numbers of Japan Empire air assets. Without promise of re-supply of more men, armour, upgrades and new planes the Tigers destroyed nearly 600 enemy planes. What's more, in the Salween Gorge, they pummelled the 60,000 crack troops that intended to cross into China and smother Kunming, the last lung of China, deep in the mountain-ringed Yunnan & Szechuan provinces. By hitting Japanese motorised columns at the top of the winding roads, the subsequent burning landslide of men, trucks, amor, and artillery rolled down and crashed onto other parts of the invading column, causing large road blocks and cutting off the Japanese line of retreat in the next AVG bombing run. The enemy retreated, never to attempt a river crossing again. This was the operational turning point.

 

IN CONCLUSION About These Rugged Men From The Wilderness. The entire nation saw in the Tigers the origins of the brave American: the exemplar & daring frontiersman faced with daunting odds improvising to justly win himself a clearing in the wilderness. This was the very definition of the American Yank.

 

 

 

 

In the 1957 photo, the Leader of The Flying Tigers at the centre:

 

 

[josesharontraders]

Buenos Dias All,

 

I'm half day today from work to pack up. Doing an old man's 2-month travel work trek through Middle East & AustralAsia. So, gotta stuff in all my photos of other AVG Groupings, because my collection sets are all here in Southern Spain--will sorely miss them and for sure, my bp will go up without the hobby---hahahaha!

 

From tomorrow onwards, it'll be sporadic comments, so ya'll feel free to add your AVG, CBI groupings or any comments you feel like, my fellow militaria members.

 

 

Saludos cordiales,

 

jose

 

 

ps. Here is one of the best video summaries of the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers of General Clare Lee Chennault:

 

[josesharontraders]

A Son's Tribute To His Dad. Here is a write up of General Claire Lee Chennault, written by his loyal son by his first marriage, US Air Force Col. John S. Chennault for Arlington National Cemetery website:

 

As footnote, the author was a veteran of both World War II and Korea and at the time of his father's death in 1958 he was the Air Attaché to the US Embassy in Madrid, Spain. Colonel John S. Chennault was born on May 20, 1913, died on Dec. 4, 1977 and is buried beside his father in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery.

 

 

 

He led the Flying Tigers (an all-volunteer service) in China before the United States entered World War II. When America entered the war, he took command of all Allied Air Forces in the far east. He was born in Commerce, Texas, on September 6, 1890 and died in Washington, D.C. on July 27, 1958. He is buried in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery and his headstone is inscribed in both English and Chinese.

John Stephen Chennault

From a 1990 Press Report:

From the cotton fields of Waterproof, Louisiana, came Claire Lee Chennault, a prophetic, controversial military genius who was de-activated twice because of his strident efforts to modernize air power.

Chennault was also a military hero who received at least 17 medals, including the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster.

Claire Lee Chennault went from being a school teacher in a one-room school in Athens, Louisiana, on to become a general and leader of the famous Flying Tigers.

Ironically, Chennault had ups and downs in his career that matches those of Chennault Air Base in Lake Charles, which was named for him. Both the base and the general were often in political fights, and the base was also cast off by the military, in 1946 and in 1961. And just as the base is still contributing to Calcasieu Parish, Claire Chennault's innovative changes still contribute to the modern armed forces.

Two of General Chennault's sons live in Ferriday Robert and Claire "Pat'' Another son, Max, lives in Fayetteville, Georgia. Two daughters, Rosemay (Mrs. James Simrell) lives in West Monroe, and Peggy (Mrs. A. Robert Lee) lives in California. Three of Chennault's sons are deceased John, a retired Colonel in the Air Force; Charles, a retired Master Sergeant in the Air Force; and David, who served in the Navy in World War II.

There are also 36 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, many of whom live in Louisiana.

Anna Chen Chennault, Chennault's second wife, and their two daughters, Cynthia and Claire Anna, live in Washington, D.C.

Claire Lee Chennault was 10 years old when the Wright Brothers made their first powered flight in 1903. Raised in the little community of Gilbert, near Waterproof, Claire was the son of John and Jessie Lee Chennault. His mother died when he was young and he became a loner, spending much time by himself in the nearby woods.

In a book he wrote later, "Way of a Fighter,'' Chennault said, "My earliest recollections are of roaming the oak woods and moss-draped cypress swamps in northeast Louisiana. Life in these woods and on the bayous and lakes taught me self-confidence and reliance and forced me to make my own decisions.''

Claire Chennault attended LSU for three years, but transferred to Louisiana State Normal for his senior year so he would be eligible for a teaching job. That same year, he attended a high school graduation ceremony in Winnsboro, and there met a young lady named Nell Thompson. They courted for a year, and married on Christmas Eve, 1911.

When World War I began, Chennault enlisted, and for a very short time was stationed at Gerstner Army Camp, south of Lake Charles near Holmwood. Then he went to Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.

"The Signal Corps rejected me for flight training three times,'' Chennault wrote later. "But taking advantage of the general confusion around Kelly, I found a few genial instructors who were willing to explain the fundamentals of flying from the rear cockpit of a Jenny.

``I was also in charge of fueling and checking the training planes, so whenever there was no cadet handy, I hopped in and racked up another hour of flying time.''

In the spring of 1920, the war ended and Chennault was honorably discharged. But that fall, he put in a request for a commission in the newly organized Air Service and was accepted for their first fighter pilot course.

In 1923, Claire Chennault was sent to Hawaii, where he was commanding officer of the 19th Pursuit Squadron at Luke Field at Pearl Harbor. It was in Hawaii that his sixth and last son, Robert, was born. A few years later, a daughter, Rosemary, was born.

"I think my Hawaiian duty was my happiest time in the Air Corps,'' Chennault wrote later. During this time, he initiated many new plans and tactics for military aircraft. He felt that the fighter techniques being taught then were "medieval jousting in dogfights.''

Chennault had a brilliant mind, far ahead of the military strategists of his day. He often sounded like a voice crying in the wilderness as he begged the military hierarchy to modernize training tactics.

"Even yet in 1931,'' he wrote, ``a World War I ace was still teaching the fighter tactics of 1918, including the dawn patrol and dogfight tactics which were completely inadequate against the new bombers.''

Chennault also tried to introduce the use of parachute troops, but was ridiculed for the suggestion.

He also advocated more firepower for fighting planes. "In 1936, engineers ridiculed my suggestion that four 30-caliber guns could be synchronized to fire through a propeller,'' he recalled. "They said it was impossible. But the next year I saw a Russian plane with synchronized guns in action against the Japanese in China.''

But military leaders weren't listening to Chennault. They didn't believe fighters could shoot down bombers. One officer even recommended that fighters drop a ball-and-chain device from above in the hope of fouling a bomber's propellers.

By 1936, Chennault had become executive officer of a pursuit group at Barksdale in Shreveport. But his disagreements with military leaders escalated, and he was asked to take a "health'' retirement. He accepted the offer.

It was after his first retirement that the Chennault children remember spending the most time with their father. Robert, who now lives in the Chennault homeplace at Ferriday, recalls: "My father was stern and insisted that we be extra good students, but he also was very good to us and spent a lot of time with us.

"He was very competitive, hating to lose at anything. He took me fishing until I became a better fisherman than he, and then he wouldn't fish with me anymore.

"He was an avid gardener. He loved his vegetables and didn't like other people in his garden. He would pick all his produce himself and take it to the kitchen. Then it was up to someone else.

"But he did insist that I keep his asparagus bed weeded, and until this day, I dislike asparagus like President Bush and his broccoli.''

Max Chennault agrees. "He was a good father. He often took us golfing, fishing, hunting and swimming and taught us to play bridge.''

All six sons of Chennault were in service during World War II, and they all came home safely. Daughter Peggy (Mrs. Robert Lee) of California says, "My husband, Bob Lee, was chief of supply for Chennault's Air Line. We and our two children lived in Shanghai, Canton, Hong Kong, Tianan and Tokyo until the Korean War. It was exciting, sometimes scary, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.''

Rosemary (Mrs. James Simrell), who now lives in West Monroe, recalls: "We saw quite a bit of Dad after he came back from China and was living in Monroe. He loved his flower garden and had many unusual plants in it, many that he'd brought home from China.''

In the 1930s, the Chennaults moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he was director of flight operations. They lived near a family named Hixson, and a member of that family, Edley Hixson of Lake Charles, remembers the Chennaults well. Edley recalls, "Max and I were friends and went to school together. I knew the family and thought that General Chennault was stern and very military.''

Then came another chapter in Chennault's career. "At midnight on April 30, 1937,'' wrote Chennault later, "with my family settled on the shores of Lake St. John near Waterproof, I officially retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of Captain. On the morning of May 1, I was on my way to San Francisco, China bound.''

Chennault originally planned to remain in China for three months, but he spent the rest of his life there. His new civilian job was to oversee the entire Chinese Air Force, and he was often discouraged because China had such a critical shortage of airplanes and trained pilots.

One day, Chennault saw five landing crackups, and watched several fighter-pilots, supposedly ready for combat, spin-in and kill themselves in basic trainers.

It took Chennault a long time to convince Chinese pilots that their lives were more important than saving face. They simply refused to bail out of a crippled plane because returning without their planes would cause them to lose face.

From the beginning, Chennault liked and respected General and Madame Chiang Kai-shek. Since she was the Secretary General of the Chinese Air Force, she was his boss.

"I have worked with Madam Chiang through long years of bitter defeat,'' he wrote later, "and through victories that now seem even more bitter because their promise of peace has not been fulfilled. I believe she is one of the world's most accomplished, brilliant and determined women.''

After World War II began, Chennault was recalled to military service, then assigned to continue the work he was doing in China.

Chennault recruited volunteers to fight the Japanese in China. The Secretary of the Navy as well as the Secretary of the Army agreed to let their flyers resign from their branch of the service to fly with Chennault, and, without prejudice, to return to their prior jobs when the war was over.

The name "Flying Tigers'' came into being about this time. Chennault explained it this way: "Suddenly, we were swamped with newspaper clippings and we were being called the Flying Tigers. But the insignia we made famous was by no means original with us.

"Our pilots copied the shark-tooth design on the P-40s from a colored illustration in the India Illustrated Weekly. Even before that, the German Air Force painted it on some of its Messerschmitts. At any rate, we were somewhat surprised to find ourselves billed under that name.''

True to form, General Claire Chennault was outspoken about several other generals he felt were impeding the war effort in China. His comments sparked a furor, and in 1945, two months before the war ended, he was again retired from the military on another "health'' disability.

"We were flying home when news of the Japanese surrender reached me via our plane radio,'' he said.

Chennault did not remain in the states. Soon he was back in China, where he founded the Civil Air Transport (CAT) which operated under the Flying Tiger insignia. Its job was to carry relief supplies from Canton and Shanghai into the interior of China. They flew tons of seeds, medicine, food, farm equipment and banknotes into isolated areas.

By this time, Chennault and Nell had divorced, and he had married a young Chinese girl, Ann Chen, who was a reporter for the Central News Agency.

Ten years later, Chennault's bronchitis grew worse and a doctor discovered he had cancer. He went through an operation and doctors removed most of his lung.

Two months later, Chennault was back in China. But a year later, a spot was again found in his lung and the doctors sent him to America and New Orleans, where he was under the care of Dr. Alton Ochsner. During this time, he managed a reunion with all his children and grandchildren.

Shortly before his death, Chennault was asked to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee of the U.S. Congress.

When the committee member asked him who won the Korean War, he replied bluntly, "The communists.''

Asked about foreign aid, he said, "We send people to distribute that aid. . We send some of the dumbest, most ignorant people I have ever encountered. We have to change our whole method of giving aid. We have to get down and contact the people, make friends with them at all levels.''

Three months later, on July 27, 1958, General Claire Lee Chennault died. He was buried in the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

And a few months later, on Friday, Nov. 14, 1958, Lake Charles held a celebration during which the Lake Charles Air Force Base was named Chennault in honor of the late general.

Today, the base has become Chennault Airpark, filling a new role but still carrying General Claire Chennault's name.

Webmaster: Michael Robert Patterson

 

[josesharontraders]

Grave of Flying Tigers AVG & 14th Air Force Lt. General Claire Lee Chennault:

 

Irony. The only thing I could add from the below and the foregoing material--such as my photo collection--is that General Chennault should have been invited to the Japanese Surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945 on the deck of the ¨Big Moe¨ (the Battleship USS Missouri BB-63). The General contributed a lot to the defeat of Japan's 4 million-man Kwangtung Army in the CBI, but to be displaced and sent home 2 months before the surrender was quite an inappropriate and whimsical decision by General Hap Arnold and his staff. A bit of schadenfreude here.

 

Minor Irony. In the second picture on the Big Moe, almost all the American Generals on the deck boards were Elite West Pointers. General Claire Lee Chennault was not an ¨Old Fellow¨ from West Point.

 

It also shows, like in the excellent staffers of multi-theatre commander Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the PR machinery stateside to win public opinion should have been addressed. Nevertheless, Louisiana welcomed its favourite son with its own humble ticker tape parade.

[josesharontraders]

A picture by artist Tom Lea hanging in our Asia offices:

 

 

[josesharontraders]

Here is AVG Crew Chief John Overley's grouping, as offered to me by Super Expert Ron Burkey. Some of the stuff I passed on, some I got, whilst one important piece, an AVG Honourable Discharge, is still available at his store:

 

 

Here is AVG Crew Chief John Overley with the Panda Bears Squadron (2nd Pursuit) shuttling AVG Pilot Peter Wright's P-40 Warhawks for battle or practice:

 

 

Here is the AVG Leader at his GHQ, wearing the Peacock Pin which was limited and numbered up to 300 pieces. The twin peacocks symbolised the unity in WW2 between United States of America and China:

 

 

Here is AVG Crew Chief John Overley's Peacock Pin:

 

 

And the back with the number out of 300 pieces:

 

 

A Crowded Zoo. Here is AVG John Overley's peacock pin within the now crowded Tiger Zoo. All his stuff are the 2 AVG collar devices on the right, the small tiger with ruby in the mouth by Whitehead & Hoag on the upper right, and his peacock pin on the right. You'll notice that a CNAC pilots wings and 2 more Chinese Air Force AVG CBI wings had been added under the Cap Badge of Ace Pilot Captain Robert H. Neale:

 

ps. there is room for more tigers if someone will want to pass it on for a good price

 

 

Close up:

 

 

Finally, some recognition 50 years later in 1992 for his good service to America. His US Air Force proper discharge documents:

 

 

The cover letter that followed in 1992 recognising him, finally, by the imprimatur and Act of the U.S. Congress:

 

 

AVG Crew Chief John Overley's Honorable Discharge Certificate now properly predated by the US Air Force to 1942, the latter recognising its de facto command of the AVG at the time via the newly discovered orders of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

[josesharontraders]

Jose, Are you on Facebook? If so there is a nice group of AAF/AF collectors.

thanks, bro. I'll send you a message for all these private stuff. hahahahah...those were gonzo days for sure

[josesharontraders]

On 4/14/2016 at 10:01 AM, Patchcollector said:

Jose,

Thanks for more info.Browsing throughout the pages that you posted I have several comments;first,the many young faces,wow,what it must have been like to be a young man in that place during that period of history.Quite the adventure I'm sure as many of the guys probably had never left their hometowns before.

 

I hope that Hollywood will revisit this subject and make a new movie about the Flying Tigers.With all the CGI available now I think that the result would be quite spectacular.

Last but not least,I love that crazy Tiger print jacket that Duke is wearing in post # 104

Hola PC,

 

Buenas tardes.

 

Yeah, I think that jacket is quite cool. Lydia Rossi was a looker in her time. She's still around and if you get serious with that jacket and want to hook up with Duke Hedman, you can find Mrs. Rossi at the forum for the flying tigers avg association: http://forums.flyingtigersavg.com.

 

 

Yes, I hope one day they'll do a movie for this. Won't be hard to find financiers from China to be part of the pool of producers, but it should be led by Hollywood.

 

When you are young you can wave your flag. Some would do so carelessly, but others are deliberate and gutsy about it from the get-go. Look, for example, the natural and gutsy psyche of the young Claire Lee Chennault on the first pages of his book, Way Of A Fighter. The rest of his AVG men were just like this:

 

Page 1:

 

 

Page 2:

 

 

Endorsed:

 

[JDK]

Very Nice Jose! The Overley group is great. The peacock pin is super and one of the few pieces that has eluded me over the years!

 

JD

[Patchcollector]

Greetings Jose;a rare,beautiful pin to feast our eyes upon and thanks for another "installment" in our Flying Tigers" education.
As I read through your post about General Chennault I was reminded of another brilliant visionary,Billy Mitchell.Both men had great ideas that were ahead of their time but were often ridiculed,only later to be proven correct.

 

I,too feel that it would have been a grand gesture to have General Chennault present at the Japanese surrender ceremony,but at the same time I realize that this is typical of his life;having done the "heavy lifting" and then standing in the shadows while the others had their party.

 

I think that a joint American/Chinese made Flying Tigers movie is an awesome idea,and may remind the peoples of both those great countries that we had in the past,and can still work together to achieve a common objective.

 

Cheers,
PC

 

A great group too!

[firefighter]

Jose, Once again, very impressive.I remember going to Arlington years back and seeing Gen. Chennault's grave. I wished I had taken pictures of the street signs when I was at England AFB.The streets were named after AVG fliers and the chow hall was the CHENNAULT INN.I wonder what they did with those old signs?

[josesharontraders]

Very Nice Jose! The Overley group is great. The peacock pin is super and one of the few pieces that has eluded me over the years!

 

JD

Hola JD,

 

Just out of an Asian airport. Very hot here like 35 Celsius to 40.

 

I remember you displaying your tiger pin one time. That would be welcome in the flying tigers zoo...hahahhaehheh.

 

Anyway, I'm sure if you had the time, many of our forum members would love to see a selection of your AVG set,

 

By our humble request, Señor.

 

jose