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Whea Wbea Whea&be Wbeathe Wh nthe &be be the & war break breaks * out oa ou ( $ he b . Is ii . aa aD an BStraetor Ia.wetor Iawetor Instructor InstructorI ( . I m . . California CaWol1l.la CaWol1lla . and aD4 told .e e be . n I Ii Is . too old 014 for for8Omll foreombat torcombat 8Omll eombat . ' Oyinc II.JIa IIJIa Sying . & ' Do Us n appeals appeal . to 0 & 8oral aevefal 8oralGeDerai aevefalOeaerals severalGenerals . , GeDerai Oeaerals . tor for a ehane ebaDce chance * to CO fly 11 Sy a eombat combat eombatpia combatplane combatplane pia plane . . and aad end BnaUy IIIIaIb Snafly ' tba tlte lbs opportunity opportQldo eomet comes eometDe comeslie comeBe * De lie ale Hies flies . a ombar "mNr mNr Somber , " to 0 & hldJa India Tadli , . , where wbere be bebecomes bebecomes bebecome becomes * a terry reR7 ferry pilot , , .11 11 . tat but & w ibis ( his . doe does . eo actappeal not act ' appeal to him bfDt . , . lIe 0 a . chit " vtilto "slta slta * General GeDeral Oeaersl CIIell1ta1l1 Chenneat Chen CIIell 1ta1l1 neat B BU ' and aDd ta Is I * proml promised . . a KIttyhawk IUlt7bawll Klttybawk . . . aDd and andMbe andwhen Mbe _ beo he tat lets gets let * it he be become bellOm becomes . * . a a "OD OD "one one 'ons ons " ' . maDAII manair inan maD man AII air * lr ' force foree " " ' over Burma flinina BIlnDa , , dome dotal doing mucb much mucbdamae muchdamage muchdauaf damae damage , to &b b th & the . , Japs laps Iaps Oil on a many m&117 m117 & a loa ion tonemillion . 111111108 mission . . , 011 one . 4a day , . b he . gets , fet .ta ta . * order orden orders * to re- re so- so rePO soport report - - PO port " to 0 & Geo Gea Gee . . Cbetinaolt CbelUaaaU Choansult la Ie Kunnunc Kumlll EsinmInS EsinmInSCHAPTER KunnuncCHAPTER , CHAPTER XVThese XV XVThese These were led by ftv five fivh of the best bestmen bestmen bestmen men of the AVG AVO and there was one onegreat onegreat onegreat great ace-ln ace ln ace-in in - - the hole that only the theGeneral theGeneral theGeneral General and the AVG AVO could have havearranged havearranged havearranged arranged Two squadrons squadron . of these theseFlying theseFlying FlJolng Flying Tigers had bad agreed to .tay tay stay staybehind . staybehind behind for a two weeks period to tobell tohelp tohelp bell help ' the newly formed 23rd Fighter FighterGroup FighterGroup Group I think this gesture by those thosemen thosemen 'men men ' such as Bob Neal Charley CharleyBond CharleyBond Bond George T Burgard Frank FrankLawlor FrankLawlor FrankLawlor Lawlor John E Petack Pet8ck Jim How flow Howard flowI Howard I ard and others who were sutTerlng suffering sufferingfrom sufferingfrom from combat fatigue and IU 1I1 LU health healthwas healthwas healthwas was one of the bravest and most moat mostself moatself mostself self sacrificing Incidents of this war warIn warIn warIn In the two weeks that they remained remainedtwo remainedtwo remainedtwo two of them gave their Uves Uvel lives and andtheir andtheir andtheir their sacrifice was beyond the call callof callof callof of mere duty These men with those thosefive thosefive thosefive five who stayed with us to lead our oursquadrons oursquadrons oursquadrons squadrons - HIll HiU Hill . . Rector Schiel SchielBright . , , Bright and Sawyer-and Sawyer and Sawyer - and the AVG AVGradio AVGradio AVGradio radio engineering armament and andground andground andground ground personnel , , were our back backbone backboric backbone bone boric and our Inspiration We of ofthe ofthe ofthe the 23rd Fighter Group salute youThat youThat you youThat That Fourth of July Jul7 as the over overconfident overconfident overconfident confident enemy ships came in over overKwellln overKweilln overKwellln Kwellln Kweilln they brought a new twin twinengine twinengtne twinengine engine engtne fighter that was supposed to tomurder tomurder tomurder murder us They came in doine doing doinearrogant doingarrogant doingarrogant arrogant acrobatics , . expecting to tostrate tostrafe tostrafe strate strafe the Chinese civilians clvillans in the thecity thecity thecity city without opposition . . General GeneralChennault GeneralChennault GeneralChennault Chennault watched them with field fieldglasses fieldglasses fieldglasses glasses from outside the cave and andcaUed andcalled andcalled caUed called directions to Bob Neal Ed EdRector EdRector EdRector Rector and Tex HIU Hill who were sit sitting sitting sitting ting with their ships in the sun sunhigh * ' high bigh overhead at twenty-one twenty one - - - thou thousand thousand thousand sand At his radio order of Take Takeem Takeem Takeem em the newly formed tormed 23rd with withthe withthe withthe the AVG attached dropped down and andmassacred andmassacred andmassacred massacred the Japs There were wereloon weresoon weresoon loon soon thirteen wrecked Zeros and arid new newtwin newtwin newtwin twin engined 1-45 1 45 - - - s a around the tleld field tleldfor fieldfor fieldfor for the Chinese to celebrate overThu3 over overThus Thus Tina Thu3 was the 23rd Fighter Group Grouporganized Grouporganized Grouporganized organized Initiated and activated activatedin in combat When Whcn I took over things thingsat thingsat at Kunming Kunmlng there were three fighter fightersquadrons fightersquadrons fightersquadrons squadrons and one headquarters headquarterssquadron headquarterssquadron headquarterssquadron squadron Major Tex Hill had one onesquadron onesquadron onesquadron squadron at Hengyang China and andwith andwith andwith with him were such deputy leaders leadersas as Maj Gil Gii Bright Maj Johnny JohnnyAlison JohnnyAlison JohnnyAhson Alison and Capt Ajax Baumler BaumlerMaj BaumlerMaj BaumlerMaj Maj Ed Hector Rector had another squad squadron squadron squadron ron at Kweilin with Capt Charlie CharlieSawyer CharlieSawyer CharlieSawyer Sawyer for his assistant in leader leadership leadership leadership ship These outlying stations are areabout areabout areabout about five hundred m les lea in the dl dlrecl10n dlrechon direclion recl10n rechon of Japan from our head headquarters headquarters headquarters quarters on the plateau of Yunnanat Yunnan at Kunming Kunmlng The third unit umt was wasI wasthe wasthe I the squadron under Maj Frank FrankI FrankSchiel FrankSehiel FrankSchiel Schiel Sehiel who was very busy traInIng traInIngthe trainingthe trainingthe I , . the most junior members of this thisnew thisnew new fighter tighter group in the way of offighter offIghter offighter fighter aviation I J got the Group Groupheadquarters Groupheadquarters Groupheadquarters headquarters to running andstood and stood stoodby stoodby stoodby by tor for orders ordt-rs ordt rs - to begin leading the thefighter thefighter thefighter fighter forces in aot aut on to the EastO East EastOi O 0 Oi s } July 10 Tex Tt'x Ttx ' Hill 11(11 1111 ( led a smallfl smallt1 smallii small t1 ii " fcht I"ht Iht kht md inci Incl id ng nit og Bluff B'lun Blun Biuri ' 1 { > tcr ir r Al AI s a n nI nI nI I eut cut I lee ee Minor and Lleut LleutElias LleutEbas LieutEllas Elias Ebas up on the Yangtse YanJtse : Their Theirprime Theirprime Theirprime prime j I b was to escort a few B 25 25medium 25medium 25medium medium bombers against the docks docksof docksof docksof of Hankow liankow This objective of mls mis mlsslDn misriots mission slDn riots with our China force was nev never never never er all we con considered ldered to be the duty dutyof dutyof dutyof of our fighters for if any other tar target target target get presentt presentid presenttd d ilst'lfafter itselfafter itself ilst'lf ilstlf ' after the bomb bombers bombcr5 bombers ers cr5 were on the way home we d dhave dhave dhave have some fun run Tex Hill HIlI 1-lill 1 lill - led his hisftll"ht hisfiiht hisfllht ftll"ht ftllht fiiht " ) ( , , along with the bombers who whowere whowere whowere were led by Col Coi C V Haynes Alter After Alterthe Afterthe Afterthe the bombs had been released and andthe andthe andthe the B 25 s 8 a were heading back for forbase forbase forbase base with their bomb bay doors doorsclosed doorsclosed doorsclosed closed Tex called f r an attack by bythe bythe bythe the fighters on the enemy sh1r shi1 shi ( p ng ngIn ngin ngIn In the TlverOne riverOne river Tlver riverOne One of the bomber pilots said that thatTex thatTex thatTex Tex rolled his sh p over from SDC six SDCteen sixteen sixteen teen Ihousai thousal thousai d feet and streaked streakeddown streakeddown ttreakeddown down tor for the Jap gunboats below belowThe belowThe belowThe The little gunboats were shxning sh otmg xning otmgeveryth xningeveryth > xitingeveryth everyth ng they hadat had at the Amerl Amen Amerlcan Amencan Ajnerican can fighters-but fighters but fighters - but that I ve ye learned learnedsince learnedsince learnedsince since was what H 11 11 II Il liked IlkI'd IlkId ' Tex TexHils TexH TexH Hils H 11 s guns were firing firmg even as he hepulled heputled hepulled pulled putled out right TIght on the water and andthey andthey andthey they swept the decks of the enemy enemygunboats enemygunboats enemygunboats gunboats The bomber pilot saId saIdthat saidthat saidthat that as the Bghter fighter tighten ships would turn turnlow turnlow turnlow low to 10 the water and anci come Ineach In each eachconcentrating eachconcentrating eachconcentrating concentrating on one of or the little littleJap littleJap littleJap Jap warships he could tee see the six sixhnes sixlines sixlines hnes lines of or \ fifty t\lty t lty calibre cal1bre tracers cutUng cutting cutUngacross cuttingacross cuttingacross across the water At long range rangethey rangethey rangethey they seemed to meet out In front 01 of 01the ofthe ofthe the fighter nghter and then fan out and cov coy covet coyem cover et em ' the deck of the lhe target targel . Then es sa esthe sathe asthe the speed of the fighter narrowed narrowedthe narrowedthe narrowedthe the range the point where the Ore fire Orecrossedthe firecrossedthe firecrossed crossed-the crossed the - the zero or convergence convergencepoint Convergencepoint convergencepoint point of the guns-was guns was guns - wag right at the thewaterlIne thewaterllne thewaterllne waterlIne waterllne of the Jsp Jap boat and it itmust Itmust Itmust must have knocked in a 5 hole that thatrippled thatrippled thatrippled rippled the boat right away On OnLhe Onthe Onihe Lhe the second sl"cond slcond " attack one of these gun gunooats gunooats gunooats ooats wa was . sinking and on Ore fire Hill s sfour sSour slour four Sour fight fighters en sank all tour four of the Ut- Ut UtUe Uttie lit little - - tle Ue tie metal gunboa gunboatSNext gunboats gunboatsNext Next day on another flight luch such luchu suchas suchas u as thll this thl one M1e cue HiU Hill led eight fighters fightersfour fightersfour fighterstour four with wl1h wing bwi bC\l1 bC l1 hon \ bs hs ha fur for dive- dive - - bombing Nanchang Nancharig While Whlle the.e thee these the.etour thesetour thesefour . tour went down witn witlf with their bomb bombs bombsHIU . , HID Bin was to . stay .tay tay aloft with the other otherfour othertour otherfour four tour to act a aa as . top-cover-juat top cover juat top-cover-Just Just top-cover top cover - - - - Just la in ca.e.ome caseomo case ca.e cae caseome . .ome ome . * ome omo Zeros ZeJ'08 ZeJ08 Zeyos ' ' tried 'led led to . surprise .utprlse utprlse the thedlvebombe thedivebombers thedive-bombers thedive bombers dlve-bombe dlve bombe dive-bombers dive bombers - - . Ajax AJu Baumler laId said laIdthat saidthat saidthat that he saw law the whole who.1e who1e . things thine thingi : . JqbQnJ Johnny : JqbQnJPetack JohnnyPetack JohnnyPetack Petack dove for fot hI his . target , , one of ofthe ofthe ofthe the gunboats aunboata on the lake bite . but aa 81 as hI his hisbomb hisbomb . bomb hit the boat the P-tO P tO P"O PO P.40 P40 " . - was .een een seen seento . seento .eento to explode . , , evidently evidentq hit by groundflre ground- ground around groundI - . I fire flre . . . Ajax followed foUowed the burnlng.bJp burnlngbJp burnlng.bJpalmo.t burning ship shipalmost . shipalmost almo.t almot almost . to the ground gro\1Dd gro 1Dd \ and an4 nnd , . saw .aw aw It It.trike Itstrike itstrike .trike trike strike . In a rice paddy neac nealf nesa a Buddhist Bud- Bud BudI - . I dhlst dhist templeSo templeso temple templei i So Petack one of the AVO Ava AVG who whohad whohad whohad had stayed for the extra two weeks weeks.was weekswas . was killed in action It's Its It'l Itl ' peculiar peculiarbow peculiarhow peculiarhow bow how a . man could fight Oeht all aU throueh through throuehthose throughthose throughthose those last nine months month ntonths . and then 10 go 10down godown godown down from a lucky anti aircraft ahot shot shot.John shotJohn . . . .John John . Petack had remained for the thepurpose thepurpose thepurpose purpose of training the new pllots pilots pllotsand pilotsand pilotsand and hi his . Job ob was that of airdrome airdromedefense airdromedefense airdromedefense defense He was killed klDed on this thin of- of offensive oftenaive of offensive - fensive tenaive mission . . It * tAras was 55 one that be he becould hecould hecould could have bave refused retused with honor . , , In In.tead Instead instead .tead tead stead . he had volunteered tor for thIs thIsdivebombing thisdivebombing thisdive-bombing thisdive bombing dive-bombing dive bombing - - flight ight and had been beenkUled beenkilled beenkilled kUled killed in carrying it out . . . It was the themost themost themost most Inspiring thing thine he could have havedone havedone havedone havedoneI done doneI I kept sweating IIweating out the organlza organiza organlzation organizaton organlzation tion ton of the Group Oroup and finally on July July17 17 I received orders from the Gen General General General eral to proceed to Kweilin KweUln Kwellin area and andtake andtake take charge cbarge of fighter operations 1 I 1know Iknow Iknow know my heart nearly beat my ribs ribsto ribsto ribsto to pieces for I was at last being or ordered ordered ordered dered to go out and lead the fight- fight fightIng fighting fightsing - - Ing Just as I landed on this air airdrome airdrome airdrome drome in the Kwansi Kwansl province I Isaw Isaw Isaw saw the remainder of the A AVG VG get - _ ftt4 ftt4I ftt4L F ftt4F I L ' . I IMajor Major Ed Rector , . AVO AVG ace and andsquadron andsquadron andsquadron squadron commanding commandlne officer , . who whotook whotook whotook took heavy toll of the Japs laps Japsinto lapsinto into mto a transport to begin their long longtrip longtrip . I Imto tTip trip home to the USA U S A They Theycalled Theycalled Theycalled called to me as they got aboard aboardand aboardand aboardand and I J saw Bob Neal Neal . , . their greatest greatestace greatestace ace wave from the tha door as he hestepped hestepped I Istepped stepped in We were on our own ownnow ownnow I Inow now except for the five A AVG VG vet vet- veterans veterans veterans - - , erans who had accepted |