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Claire Lee Chennault Claire Chennault was an experienced aviator and a three star general! He was born in Commerce, Texas in 1890. He was the son of John Stonewall Chennault, a cotton farmer. Claire had three mothers, two of whom died when he was young. When Claire was about eleven he started going on hunts alone. When he came back from a hunt he always had some deer, hog, birds, or fish with him. Once when Claire was in his teens he flipped an alligator on his back to scare his cousins who were accompanying him. Following graduation from Louisiana State University, Claire taught school, developed an outstanding amateur baseball team, and was a factory inspector. In 1911 he married Nell Thompson and had 6 sons and 2 daughters. In 1917 he joined the army and in 1918 he went to flight school to follow his dream of flying. Chennault almost got kicked out of flight school because of his stubbornness. Eventually his flight instructor quit, and a new flight instructor passed him as an aviator. In 1919, after graduating as an engineering officer, he was stationed many places as a pursuit flying instructor. In 1933 he wrote a textbook titled The Role of Defensive Pursuit. His basic theory was one of Detection - Interception - Destruction. He believed in an effective warning system and that pursuit aircraft could fight in formation as a team. Also during this time he organized and trained the Air Corps' first aerobatic team known as 'Three Men on a Flying Trapeze'. They became the forerunners of the present Air Force 'Thunderbirds'. Chennault's tactical views were not supported by his superiors who believed that long range high flying bombers would make fighter aircraft not necessary. After many years of not succeeding in changing their opinions, Claire, frustrated and sick, was forced to retire as a Major. Within 30 days of retirement Claire received an invitation from Madame Chiang Kai Shek to build an effective air force in China. Claire taught Chinese fighter pilots his pursuit tactics and he established a highly effective warning system (which was considered the best in the world until radar was invented.) In 1937, four years before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Japan invaded China. Chennault's theories were finally going to be put to the test. Chinese pilots gave the Japanese a lesson they wouldn't forget. They were very successful with their early warning net and their ability to fly as a team. Chennault was very pleased but knew the size of the Chinese Air Force was going to be a problem. He went to see President Roosevelt who secretly agreed to let Chennault recruit American pilots and staff. He also gave them one hundred P-40 planes that were destined for England. This formed the American Volunteer Group or "Flying Tigers". The AVG continued their strikes against Japan and were very successful in holding the Japanese off. The "Flying Tigers" were responsible for shooting down 299 Japanese planes, with 300 more unconfirmed. They had given the Chinese hope for survival. In 1942 the United States was also at war with Japan and the AVG was sadly ordered to disband because they would not join forces with the U.S. Army. Volunteers were given the choice of joining the Army Air Corps or returning to the U.S. to be drafted as privates. Claire Chennault retired from the Air Force in 1945 and wrote his memoirs "Way of a Fighter." In 1947 he divorced his wife Nell and married young reporter, Anna Chan. They had two daughters. President Eisenhaur promoted Claire to Lieutenant General, just three days before his death. In 1958, he died of lung cancer and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. |