Chennault, Claire Lee

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Chennault, Claire Lee, born on 06-09-1893 in Commerce, Texas, was an American military aviator. He learned to fly in the Air Service during World War I, graduated from pursuit pilot training at Ellington Field, Texas . During World War I, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and pioneered in aviation pursuit tactics. A contentious officer, he was a fierce advocate of “pursuit” or fight-interceptor aircraft during the 1930s when the U.S. Army Air Corps was focused primarily on high-altitude bombardment. Chennault retired in 1937, went to work as an aviation trainer and adviser in China, and commanded the “Flying Tigers” during World War II, both the volunteer group and the uniformed units that replaced it in 1942. One day, Chennault saw five landing crack-ups, and watched several fighter-pilots, supposedly ready for combat, spin-in and kill themselves in basic trainers. He was an originator of the idea of using paratroopers. In 1937 he resigned from the army and became aviation adviser to the Chinese government, leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek, thenat war with Japan.

  For the Chinese air force he organized volunteer American aviators into a corps known as the “Flying Tigers.” The corps became famous for defending the Burma Road, the Chinese supply route from India.   During World War II Chennault was recalled to American service as a Brigadier General and in 1942 was given command of the China Air Task Force. He became a Major General in 1943, and from 1943 to 1945, when he retired.

He led the 14th U.S. Air Force, File:Fourteenth Air Force - Emblem (World War II).jpg as well as the China Air Task Force.

Death and burial ground of Chennault, Claire Lee.

   After the war he returned to China and organized a commercial airline, which he later directed from Taiwan Claire Lee Chennault, his family name is French and is pronounced shen-auw, died of cancer at the age of 65, on 27-07-1958 .  and is buried on Arlington National Cemetery , Section 2. Close by in Section 2 the graves of General, Commander 92nd “ Negro Division” US 92nd Infantry Division SVG.svg, Edward “Ned” Almond, Major General, Commander 8th Bomber Command Europe, Frederick Anderson, Rear Admiral, Commander Destroyer Greyson, Frederic Bell, Navy Admiral, “Operation Crossroads”, William Blandy, General, Commander 32nd Infantry Division , Clovis Byers, Navy Admiral. Battle of the Leyte Gulf, Robert CarneyLieutenant General, Commander 4th Corps , Italy Campaign, Willis Crittenberger), Major General and commander of the 5th Infantry Division , Joseph Michael CumminsBrigadier General, First African-American General, Benjamin Davis, Quartermaster Lieutenant General, John De Witt, Major General and Head OSS, William “Wild Bill” Donovan, Brigadier General, Speck Easley, Marine Corps Major General, Commander 1st Raider Battalion, Merritt “Red Mike” Edson, Lieutenant General, VIII Army, Robert Eichelberger, Navy Admiral, Commander Nord Pacific Fleet, Frank Fletscher and Navy Admiral, Commander VII Forces, William Fechteler, Admiral, U.S. Chief of Naval Material, John Gingrich and U.S. Brigadier General, “ Merrills Marauders “ in Burma, Frank Dawn Merrill, U.S. 4* Navy Vice Admiral, Commander U.S.S. Hornet, Doolittle Raid, Marc Mitscher.


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