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Encyclopedia > Claire Lee Chennault
Claire Lee Chennault
Claire Lee Chennault

Lt. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault (September 6, 1893July 27, 1958), was a United States military aviator famous for commanding the "Flying Tigers" during World War II. His family name is pronounced shen-oh. Claire Chennault Converted & cropped from http://www. ... Claire Chennault Converted & cropped from http://www. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Aviator (disambiguation). ... The “Flying Tigers” (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Japanese: フライング・タイガース) was the nickname of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), a group of United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy (USN), and United States Marine Corps (USMC) pilots and ground crew, recruited under a secret Presidential sanction by Claire Chennault... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Contents

Early life

Born in Commerce, Texas, to John Stonewall Jackson Chennault and Jesse (Lee) Chennault,[1] he was raised in the town of Waterproof in Tensas Parish, Louisiana. The 1900 US Census record from Franklin Parish, LA, Ward 2 states that C L Chennault was age 6 in 1900, with a younger brother age 3 (born in Louisiana) (1900 US Federal Census). Commerce is a city located in Hunt County, Texas. ... Waterproof is a town located in Tensas Parish, Louisiana. ... Tensas Parish is a parish located in the state of Louisiana. ... Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans [1] Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33°N  - Longitude 89°W... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... 1880 US Census of Hoboken, New Jersey The United States Census is mandated by the United States Constitution[1]. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats (congressional apportionment), electoral votes, and government program funding. ... Franklin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. ... Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans [1] Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33°N  - Longitude 89°W...


Chennault's age has not been without controversy. He began misrepresenting his birth date as being in September 1890 perhaps as early as mid-1909. The probability is that being only 15 at the time he says that he applied to West Point, he made himself appear older (or old enough) on the application. 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... Alternate meanings: West Point (disambiguation). ...


Military career

Chennault attended Louisiana State University between 1909 and 1910 and received ROTC training (Claire). He learned to fly in the Army during World War I and became Chief of Pursuit Training ffrom the US Army Air Corps in the 1930s. Poor health and disputes with superiors led Chennault to resign from the service in 1937. He then joined a small group of American civilians training Chinese airmen and served as 'air adviser' to Kuomintang (KMT) leader Chiang Kai-shek and his wife, Soong Mei-ling, during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Chennault participated in planning operations and observed the Chinese Air Force in combat from a Curtiss (P-36 Mohawk). In this period, he would organize the International Squadron.[1] Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program of the United States armed forces present on college campuses to recruit and educate commissioned officers. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... 1. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung1-kuo2 Kuo2-min2-tang3) [1], also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is a political party in the Republic of China, now on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in... Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was the Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ... Generalissimo and Madame Chiang Kai-shek with General Stilwell in Burma (1942). ... The Second Sino-Japanese War was a major invasion of eastern China by Japan preceding and during World War II. It ended with the surrender of Japan in 1945. ... Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company went public in 1916 with Glenn Curtiss as president. ... The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also know as Curtiss Hawk Model 75, was a U.S.-built fighter aircraft of the 1930s. ...


Flying Tigers

Chennault's 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) — better known as the "Flying Tigers" — began training in August 1941 and fought the Japanese for six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.[2] Chennault's three squadrons used P-40s & his tactics of "defensive pursuit" to guard the Burma Road, Rangoon, and other strategic locations in Southeast Asia and western China against Japanese forces, as China had few, if any, modern planes. For the airline, see Flying Tiger Line. ... The “Flying Tigers” (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Japanese: フライング・タイガース) was the nickname of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), a group of United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy (USN), and United States Marine Corps (USMC) pilots and ground crew, recruited under a secret Presidential sanction by Claire Chennault... This article is about the actual attack. ... The Curtiss P-40 was an American fighter aircraft which first flew in 1938 and played a vital role in the crucial middle stages of World War II. Developed from the pre-war radial-engined P-36 Hawk, the P-40 became known as the Tomahawk, the Kittyhawk, and finally... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

Dr Seuss thanked Chennault by inducting him into the Society of Red Tape Cutters on August 30th, 1942
Dr Seuss thanked Chennault by inducting him into the Society of Red Tape Cutters on August 30th, 1942

The Flying Tigers were formally incorporated into the United States Army Air Forces in 1942. Prior to that, Chennault had rejoined the Army with the rank of colonel. He was later promoted to brigadier and then major general, commanding the Fourteenth Air Force. Image File history File links ClareChenn. ... Image File history File links ClareChenn. ... Dr. Seuss is the pen name of Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 - September 24, 1991). ... The illustrated certificate for Franklin D. Roosevelt The Society of Red Tape Cutters was a series of small articles published by newspapers during World War II to give recognition to military and political figures for keeping bureaucracy from hindering the war effort. ... The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was the aviation component of the United States Army primarily during World War II. The title of Army Air Forces succeeded the prior name of Army Air Corps in June 1941 during preparation for expected combat in what came to be known as... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Fourteenth Air Force, also 14th Air Force (14 AF), is a Numbered Air Force (NAF) of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). ...


China-Burma-India Theater

Throughout the war Chennault was engaged in a bitter dispute with the American ground commander, General Joseph Stilwell. Chennault asserted that the Fourteenth Air Force, operating out of bases in China, could bring about the downfall of Japan with air power alone. In contrast, Stilwell insisted the key to victory was the coupling of that air-power with well-trained Chinese troops in solid, take-and-hold ground operations. Chiang Kai-shek favored Chennault's plans, most likely because they allowed him to hoard materiel and money. As the war progressed, Chennault's bases were all but wiped off the map by the steady expansion of Japanese ground power. Joseph Warren Stilwell (March 19, 1883 – October 12, 1946) was a United States Army four-star general best-known for his service in China. ...


As supply to the China-Burma-India Theater was very limited — all ground routes to China had been closed by the Japanese, leaving only the tenuous Hump air route from India over the Himalayas — the fight for tonnage between the two generals was rancorous. Chennault was a long-time friend of Chiang Kai-shek and had the ear of Franklin Roosevelt, so he usually came out ahead. Eventually, the air-bases established by Chennault were entirely overrun and all equipment lost. Chiang and Chennault managed to persuade Washington the fault lay with Stilwell and had him relieved of command. This freed Chennault and Chiang to largely orchestrate the conduct of the remainder of the war. Chennault retired from the Army in mid 1945, shortly before the Allied victory in the Pacific. China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the name used by the United States Army for its forces in China, Burma, India during World War II. Well-known US units in this theater included the Flying Tigers, transport and bomber units flying the Hump, the engineers who built Ledo Road, and... Look up hump in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was the Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), often referred to as FDR, was the 32nd (1933–1945) President of the United States. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the largest of the Earths oceanic divisions. ...


Postwar

Chennault, who unlike Joseph Stilwell had a high opinion of Chiang Kai-shek, advocated international support for Asian anti-communist movements. Returning to China, he purchased several surplus military aircraft and created Civil Air Transport (later Air America). These aircraft facilitated the Kuomintang occupation of Northern Burma throughout the mid and late 1950's and provided support for the Thai police force (which at the time was openly engaging in heroin and opium trafficking).[citation needed] Joseph Warren Stilwell (March 19, 1883 – October 12, 1946) was a United States Army four-star general best-known for his service in China. ... Anti-communism is opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either a theoretical or practical level. ... Civil Air Transport (CAT) was a CIA-owned airline that supported United States covert operations throughout East and Southeast Asia. ... Air America Pilots Cap Air America was an American passenger and cargo airline covertly owned and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). ...


Chiang and Chennault considered the stress this created for the fledgling Burmese democracy was justified as in their opinion the fight to restore the Chiangs to Chinese rule was the only way to protect the world from Chinese Communism. As a consequence of the violence it spawned, Myanmar's democracy was soon toppled by a military coup. Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ...


Later, many of the founders and leaders of Civil Air Transport would become involved in Southeast Asian politics, policing and drug cartels, ultimately morphing into Air America, the CIA's air transport company that served throughout the Korean War, the French First Indochina War, and the Vietnam War. Civil Air Transport (CAT) was a CIA-owned airline that supported United States covert operations throughout East and Southeast Asia. ... Air America Pilots Cap Air America was an American passenger and cargo airline covertly owned and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). ... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... Combatants French Union France State of Vietnam Cambodia Laos Viet Minh Commanders French Expeditionary Corps Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque (1945-46) Jean-Étienne Valluy (1946-8) Roger Blaizot (1948-9) Marcel-Maurice Carpentier (1949-50) Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (1950-51) Raoul Salan (1952-3) Henri Navarre (1953-4... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...


Chennault advocated changes in the way foreign aid was distributed and encouraged Congress to focus on individuals. This viewpoint may have reflected his experiences during the Chinese Civil War, where the Kuo Min Tang (recipients of huge sums of poorly distributed American aide) were defeated by Chinese Communist forces. 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, his response was blunt; "The Communists." Combatants Nationalist Party of China Communist Party of China Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Mao Zedong Strength 4,300,000 (July 1946) 3,650,000 (June 1948) 1,490,000 (June 1949) 1,200,000 (July 1946) 2,800,000 (June 1948) 4,000,000 (June 1949) The Chinese Civil War... The Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party of China (Traditional Chinese: 中國國民黨; Simplified Chinese: 中国国民党; pinyin: Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng; Wade-Giles: Chung-kuo Kuo-min-tang; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongguo Guomindang; literally the National Peoples Party of China... Communist Party of China flag The Communist Party of China (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; pinyin: Zhōnggu ngchǎndǎng) is the ruling party of the Peoples Republic of China. ...


Death and legacy

Chennault was ultimately promoted to lieutenant general, just one day before his death. He died of lung cancer in 1958 after the removal of most of one lung the previous year. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...


Chennault is commemorated by a statue in the ROC capital of Taipei, as well as by monuments on the grounds of the Louisiana state capitol at Baton Rouge, and at the former Chennault Air Force Base – now the commercial Chennault International Airport – in Lake Charles, Louisiana. An antique P-40 aircraft, nicknamed "Joy", is on display at the riverside war memorial in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, painted in the colors of the Flying Tigers. For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country Republic of China Region Northern Taiwan City seat Xinyi District (信義區) Government  - Mayor Hau Lung-bin (KMT)1 E9 Area  - City 271. ... Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans [1] Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33°N  - Longitude 89°W... Capitol Building Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana, a state of the United States of America. ... Chennault International Airport (IATA: CWF, ICAO: KCWF) is a public airport located 4 miles (6 km) east of the city of Lake Charles, in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, USA. It was previously Chennault Air Force Base and before that, Lake Charles Air Force Base, and as such, was home to the... Chennault International Airport (IATA: CWF, ICAO: KCWF) is a public airport located 4 miles (6 km) east of the city of Lake Charles, in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, USA. It was previously Chennault Air Force Base and before that, Lake Charles Air Force Base, and as such, was home to the... This article is about the City of Lake Charles, La. ... Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans [1] Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33°N  - Longitude 89°W...


Chennault is recognized as a major contributor to Chinese history within China. His Chinese name is Chen-na-de (陳纳德). Chennault's first wife, Nell Thompson, was an American of British ancestry. By the time he was serving in China, they had divorced. Chennault then married Chen Xiangmei, a young reporter for the Central News Agency. Anna Chennault, as his wife was known, became one of Taiwan's chief lobbyists in Washington. // Chen Xiangmei Wife of famous WWII aviation hero Claire Lee Chennault, Chen Xiangmei, or Anna Chan, (or Anna Chen Chennault) was a very busy lady, and has had an illustrious career in her own right. ...


See also

The “Flying Tigers” (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Japanese: フライング・タイガース) was the nickname of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), a group of United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy (USN), and United States Marine Corps (USMC) pilots and ground crew, recruited under a secret Presidential sanction by Claire Chennault... The Republic of China Air Force (中華民國空軍; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjūn) is the aviation branch of the armed forces of the Republic of China on Taiwan, and is often viewed as one of the most professional and capable branches of the Republic of Chinas armed forces. ... Combatants China Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai Hirohito, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio, Yasuji Okamura, Umezu Yoshijiro, Fumimaro Konoe Strength 58,600,000 4,100,000... ‹ The template below (History of China - BC) is being considered for deletion. ... The Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan) maintains a large military establishment, which accounted for 16. ... The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung1-kuo2 Kuo2-min2-tang3) [1], also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is a political party in the Republic of China, now on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in... Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was the Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ... Generalissimo and Madame Chiang Kai-shek with General Stilwell in Burma (1942). ...

Notes

  1. ^ Caidin, Ragged, Rugged Warriors. It is possible his command of this formation as well as the AVG leads to the mistaken belief AVG was in action before Pearl Harbor.
  2. ^ Caidin, ibid., dates the departure of the first AVG pilots 10 Dec 1941.

Further reading

  • Martha Byrd - Chennault: Giving Wings to the Tiger ISBN 0-8173-0322-7
  • Claire Chennault - Way of a Fighter (Putnam's, 1949)
  • Daniel Ford - Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942 ISBN 0061246557
  • Robert Lee Scott Jr - Flying Tiger: Chennault of China ISBN 0-8371-6774-4
  • Martin Caidin - The Ragged, Rugged Warriors Ballantine, 1978.
  • Jon Latimer, Burma: The Forgotten War, London: John Murray, 2004 ISBN 0-7195-6576-6

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

Works Cited

"Claire Lee Chennault." Dictionary of American Biography, Supplement 6: 1956-1960. 1980. Biography Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 22 Sep. 2006.


"1900 United States Federal Census, Franklin Parish, Louisiana, Ward 2." Ancestry.com 20 Jan. 2007 <www.ancestrylibrary.com>.


Martin Caidin - The Ragged, Rugged Warriros Ballantine, 1978.


  Results from FactBites:
 
Claire Lee Chennault - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (830 words)
Chennault believed that the Fourteenth Air Force, operating out of bases in China, could bring about the downfall of Japan with air power alone; in contrast, Stilwell believed that the key to victory was the training of Chinese troops and their employment in aggressive ground operations in China.
Chennault considered the stress which this created for the fledgling Burmese democracy justified because, in their opinion, the fight to restore the Chiang's to Chinese rule was the only means to protect the world from Chinese Communists.
Chennault died in 1958, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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