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Chennault, Claire Lee
Chennault, Claire Lee (1890–1958) U.S. army officer and aviator. Born in Texas, Chennault attended Officers' Training Camp in 1917 and was commissioned first lieutenant in the infantry. He did not serve in World War I but did transfer into the Signal Corps and become a pilot. He became one of the Air Service's premier experts on pursuit aviation while an instructor at the Air Corps Tactical School in the 1930s, but had to retire as a lieutenant colonel in 1937 because of deafness. Hired by Madame Chiang Kai-Shek to organize Chinese air defenses against Japan, he established and led the American Volunteer Group, which became known as the “Flying Tigers” and compiled a remarkable record in air combat. In April 1942 he was recalled to active duty as a colonel, and he soon became chief of Army Air Forces in China. In March 1943 he was promoted to major general in command of the 14th Air Force, providing tactical support to American and Chinese ground forces. He commanded that unit until the end of the war, and retired again in October 1945.
When he retired, he formed Civil Air Transport (CAT), the predecessor firm to Air America. CAT carried arms, munitions, and troops for the Chinese Nationalist regime. (After a secret purchase by the CIA in 1950, CAT airdropped agents and supplies into China, supported anti-Communist forces in Burma, and provided the pilots to fly resupply missions for the French at Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam, in 1954.) |
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"Chennault, Claire Lee." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Chennault, Claire Lee." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-ChennaultClaireLee.html "Chennault, Claire Lee." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-ChennaultClaireLee.html |
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Claire Lee Chennault
Claire Lee Chennault , 1890–1958, American general, b. Commerce, Tex. In World War I he was a pioneer in air pursuit tactics. Retired (1937) from the army, he went to China and organized air defenses for Chiang Kai-shek . He formed there (1941) the American Volunteer Group (known as the Flying Tigers). Recalled (1942) to duty, he headed the U.S. air task force in China and retired (1945) as a major general.
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Cite this article
"Claire Lee Chennault." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Claire Lee Chennault." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Chennaul.html "Claire Lee Chennault." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Chennaul.html |
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