THE FLYING TIGERS

     Chiang Kai-shek chose to build his new air force, named Colonel Claire Chennault, who was retired from the U.S. Army Air Corps because of deafness and internal disagreement with higher authority, By 1938, Colonel Chennault begun a major airfield construction program and the force behind the American Volunteer Group (AVG), better known as “Flying Tigers."

    Recruitment of pilots had to be conducted with secrecy because the U.S. was still neutral. All transaction were through a private corporation, the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) and Chinese Defense Supp AVG recruiters were considered employees of CAMCO. So the whole thing was an elaborate scheme to minimize office U.S. involvement.

    In April 1942 the AVG was officially incorporated with the Tenth Air Force. Chennault was reactivated by the U.S Air corps and promoted to Brigadier General, and assumed command of the new China Air Task Force (CAT), the forerunner of the 14th Air Force.Lt. Albert Ong boarded an Army transport for Malis Air Base, Karachi, India to help form the Chinese-American Composite Wing to train for combat duty in China, Burma, India theater. Lt Albert Ong was reassigned to Kunming Air Base, Hunan Province, China, where he reported to duty with the 14th Air Force. He later served at Kweilin and Luichow Air Bases, Kwangsi Province where he was assigned to the 43rd Fighter Squadron as Combat Intelligence Officer, April 21, 1944. Sgt Harry Ong and Cpl. Douglas Dong left Newport News, Virginia, crossed the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to Bombay, India and flew to Kunming China and assigned to the 14th Air Force. Cpl. Douglas Dong was then assigned to Guiyang, Hengyang, and to Chunking. Sgt Harry Ong was later assigned to Shanghai.

     The 14th Air Force was the smallest army air force in World War II, but it was responsible for the largest land area- Burma, all of China, the Formosan straights, Indo-China and Thailand. The 14th's 308th Bombardment Group's B-24 Liberators, had the best bombing record of the entire USAAF.

     The first raids on Formosa were successful. Chennault's 14th destroyed 42 Japanese aircraft on the ground in twelve minutes without a single casualty and damaged aircraft. The Japanese were convinced that this thorn in their side had to be destroyed. An immediate air and ground offensive was initiated against east China by the Japanese Command, to neutralize the 14th Air Force.

     An all-out attack against Hankow, combining the 14th with Major Gen. Curtis LeMay's 20th B-29 Command The Hankow mission was the first massive fire-raid conducted and the results was the decisive factor in LeMay's decision to utilize the low level firebombing techniques against the Japanese. The tide had finally ebbed. Chennualt's bombers continued to strike, though now at a beaten and ever retreating enemy.

     Sgt. Grey Toy served with the Chinese-American Composite Wing (CACW) and the 20th Bomb Command. He was then assigned to the 407th Service Squadron, 14th Air Service Group of the 14th Air Force. June 15, 1945, Lt Thomas Tang arrived in the CBI theater stationed at Kunming, China, served as Combat Liaison Officer with the Artillery Training Command to assist the Chinese Army and equip them for combat.

    The CBI saw some impressive achievements; the Hump, the pipeline to China, the Ledo Road, the conquest of northern Burma, but the only significant and lasting achievement was the Hump.  

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