Flying Tigers Reception in SF; Oct 24, 2014

[DATE]

Reception Honoring Flying Tigers & TITLE] WW II[DOCUMENT Veterans [DOCUMENT SUBTITLE] October 24, 2014 LARRY MICROSOFT [Company address]

Program____________________________________________________

6:00 pm

Social interaction; view artifacts and photos of museum progress

6:30 pm

Welcome by Consulate; Remarks by Counsul General Yuan Nansheng

6:45 pm

Speech and Remarks by General James T. Whitehead Jr., Chairman, Flying Tiger Historical Organization; Special Guests Nell Calloway, Captain Moon Fun Chin, Christopher Nixon Cox; Tracy Thompson remarks on behalf of all veterans.

7:00 pm

General Whitehead, Chairman of Flying Tiger Historical Organization, and President Larry Jobe present commemorative gift to: Captain Moon Fun Chin - China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) Captain Moon Chin pioneered Hump Route David Thompson

14th AAF 528th Squadron (“Dragonflies”)

Roy Dillon

CBI

Frank Gurney

CBI

Hank DeGraaf

CBI

Wes Arment

CBI

Max Kernaghan

CBI

Bill Behrns

14th AAF P-38 Ace

George Franke

14th AAF 528th Squadron (“Dragonflies”)

Bob Hong

(China – Burma – India)

China-born Veteran, served in Italy

7:30 pm

Buffett dinner; DVD of Guilin Flag-raising Ceremony

8:30 pm

End

Flying Tiger Historical Organization Chairman General Whitehead, Larry Jobe and KC Ma meet with Consul General Yuan Nansheng to discuss hosting event at San Francisco People’s Republic of China Consulate to Honor Heroes of WW II.

Counsul General Yuan Nansheng presents Captain Moon Fun Chin with Certificate of Appreciation for his services in helping to defeat the Japanese invaders in WW II.

Captain Moon Fun Chin Although never in the military, he was awarded four Major Military Medals for his courage and heroics during WW II.

WW II Veteran (Italy) Bob Hong

Flying Tiger Ace Bill Behrns

On August 15th, Counsul General Yuan Nansheng presented certificates to Chinaborn veteran Bob Hong & Flying Tiger Ace Bill Behrns in celebration of the ending of hostilities.

David Thompson

Flying Tiger Fighter Pilot 14th Army Air Force, 528th Fighter Squadron (“Dragonflies”)

David flew P-51s out of Xi’an, China, and was shot down in July 1945. He was rescued by Chinese and safely returned to his base shortly after the hostilities ended in August 1945.

David in cockpit of P-51 at 2009 528th reunion.

Below:

David in P-51B over China and on 2004 China tour with 528th pilot Bill Creech (deceased).

Dr. Roy Dillon, DVM

Dr. Dillon flew the infamous and dangerous Hump (most dangerous flying in the world) supplying China’s needs during the war. As a CBI pilot, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and other citations.

Flying Tiger Heritage Park Museum

Artist’s rendition of what will greet visitors to Flying Tiger Heritage Park Museum. Center memorial statue will depict Chinese rescuing a downed Flying Tiger pilot.

Inscription on the base will read:

“Safe

in the Hands of Friends”

Located in Guilin, China, at the site of General Chennault’s Operations and Command cave, the museum is opening in March of 2015 and will be part of the Flying Tiger Heritage Park.

Chinese all over China formed an early warning network alerting General Chennault to Japanese movements and air raids. These alerts came into General Chennault’s Command and Operations cave in Guilin (Kweilin) and allowed General Chennault to effectively use his very limited resources.

Captain Moon Fun Chin

As a pilot with China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC), he pioneered the Hump route keeping China supplied and alive after the Japanese cut off the Burma highway.

Captain Moon Fun Chin’s skill and daring as a pilot saved many lives.

Along with other CNAC pilots, he helped supply China’s war needs.

Frank Gurney and Evelyn

Frank flew B-24s making 19 trips over the Hump as a member of the 9th Bomber Squadron “Flying Cobras”. Between 1942 and 1945 the Hump claimed 1659 pilot lives. “Dangerous Dance” is the B-24 in which Frank and his crew returned home.

Hank DeGraaf

Hank was a CBI pilot flying C47s and C46s across the Hump. He made about 70 trips over the Hump. CBI pilots were so successful at their mission that during the 1948-1949 Berlin Blockade, the airlift which was mounted to supply Berliners was modeled after the Hump flights which had so successfully supplied China in WW II.

Flying Tigers Bill Creech – Hank Snow – David Thompson – Mark McDonnell

Picture taken in Chongqing at banquet honoring four 528th “Dragonflies” Fighter Squadron pilots on tour of China. They were greeted by Chongqing Mayor Pan before the banquet.

Wes Ament (in uniform)

Wes flew 166 missions over the Himalayan Mountains (“The Hump”) – the most dangerous flying in the world. His awards include the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Bill Behrns ACE

Flying P-38s, Captain Bill Behrns became an ace.

His fighter group with 25 P-38s went up against 550 Japanese fighters.

They shot down 200 preventing the Japanese from entering India. 28 of their pilots were killed.

Bill was shot down and rescued the next day.

Bob Hong (AAF Italy)

Bob was born in China on August 8, 1924, immigrating to the United States in 1936. He served with the 15th Army Air Force in Italy. Mee Yoke, his wife, and Bob have made many trips to China and he has trekked the Himalayas several times.

Ernest Garner

Flying as part of the 14th Army Air Force, 528th Fighter Squadron (“Dragonflies”), Ernest’s P 51 was shot down and he was killed in action (KIA) on April 14th, 1945.

His remains were never recovered so today he rests among friends in China.

Max Kernaghan Max flew in the Ferry Command; then late in the war, he flew B 24s over the Hump as a CBI pilot. Max was awarded the Air Medal and CBI Service Ribbons.

Donald Westfahl and Crew

Pictured to the left, with note below: This chronological order was typical for military pilots in WW II. Weather crews provided what little information Hump pilots could get about the weather conditions to be encountered and expected over the Hump.

No satellite pictures to guide them.

Besides Japanese fighters, weather was the biggest enemy.

The Hump route was, and is, called the “Aluminum Highway� due to all the wreckage along the way.

Infamous Hump route over the Himalayas into Kunming, first stop of supply route.

C46 pictured above the Himalayan Mountains.

Shoulder and Jacket Patches plus Blood Chit USAAF

14 AAF

CATF

CBI (China – Burma – India)

Blood Chits saved many downed pilots and they are used extensively today.

Steering Committee______________________________ Flying Tiger Historical Organization Board Chairman - General James T. Whitehead, Jr.

President – Larry Jobe

Vice President - KC Ma

Treasurer – Patti Jobe

Board members - Phil VanZandt - Dave Thuillez - Joe Eng Beth Sandefur - Flying Tiger Historical Organization Stanley Barratta – Flying Tiger Historical Organization Greg Mills – Flying Tiger Historical Organization Nell Calloway – Chennault Aviation and Military Museum

Acknowledgement___________________________ The Flying Tiger Historical Organization wishes to thank our host, The San Francisco Consulate of the People’s Republic of China, Counsul General Mr. Yuan Nansheng and his staff.

About Flying Tiger Historical Organization________ The Flying Tiger Historical Organization, Inc. (FTHO), is a California non-profit organization, registered with the IRS as a 501(c) (3). We are working with the Lingui County authorities in China to renovate the Flying Tigers Command Cave in Guilin, China.

Our Save the Cave project is to restore the Flying Tiger Command Cave and establish a museum and memorial park at the site of the Flying Tiger Airfield located in Guilin, China. The FTHO promotes continued friendship, cultural understanding, and cooperation between our peoples.

This will provide citizens of both countries, and all over the world, a firsthand opportunity to see, hear and understand the significance of what transpired in China during World War II. They watered the flowers of Sino-US friendship with their blood and lives, leaving a bridge we can cross today, together building a better world. [ www.FlyingTigerHistoricalOrganization.com/ ] (Email: larryjobe1@gmail.com ) (Telephone: 209.962.5501)

Flying Tigers & 14th Army Air Force General Claire Lee Chennault