Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault, Commander of the famed American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers, was born in Commerce, Texas on September 6, 1893. As an infant, his family moved to Louisiana where he stayed and received his education. Chennault misrepresented his birth year in order to attend college at the age of 16. He enrolled in ROTC at Louisiana State University, later graduating from Officer’s School, and learned how to fly during WWI.
Claire Chennault developed an enviable reputation as an extraordinary airman, as a pursuit squadron leader, instructor, and later as 14th Air Force Commander. He had written the Role of Defensive Pursuit in 1933, which became recognized as the authoritative manual on fighter aircraft strategy and the standard for fighter tactics in WWII. By 1937, he retired from the Air Service due to a combination of health issues and disputes with his superiors.
Three months later, as a civilian, Chennault was invited to become air advisor to the Chinese Government. As tensions increased between China and Japan, Chennault’s mission grew more critical and China sent him back to the US in 1940 to negotiate financial aid, military supplies and aircraft, and to discuss the concept of an American Volunteer Group. By the spring of 1941, P40 aircraft, pilots and supplies were arriving in Burma; training began by August that year and the first battle took place in December 1941. Chennault recruited some 300 American pilots and ground crew and under Chennault’s guidance and training, they became the symbol of American military strength in Asia – the Flying Tigers.
Chennault had great success as the Commander of the Chinese Air Force. He was training Chinese pilots, the Flying Tigers (AVG) were incorporated into the United States Army Air Force and, by April 1942, Chennault had rejoined the US Army with the rank of major; three days later he was advanced to colonel and 12 days later promoted to brigadier general commanding the 14th Air Force. Chennault retired (again) from the Army Air Forces in 1945 with a number of awards including WWI Victory Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service medal and similar medals from China, France, United Kingdom and Poland.
In 1946 Chennault created the Civil Air Transport (CAT – later known as Air America) and continued to support China and other Asian countries during their struggles with communism. Until his death in 1958, he was advocating for changes in foreign aid distribution and oversight by US advisers.
Claire Lee Chennault, the master aerial tactician, died in 1958 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1972 and later honored by the USPS with a 40-cent stamp. There are many statues erected in his honor throughout his home state of Louisiana, as well as in Taipei, and in China there are multiple Flying Tiger memorials and museums honoring the Flying Tigers and their extraordinary leader, Claire Lee Chennault.
Our beloved Flying Tiger Line owes its very existence to this one man.