Birthplace of Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault
Commerce, Hunt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1890-1958) Organizer-commander of the famous "Flying Tigers" of the China-Burma-India theater in World War II. An outstanding air strategist, Chennault had retired from a pioneer flying career when, in 1937, he was asked by Gen. Chaing Kai-Shek to help China develop an air force to combat threatening raids by Japan. Four years later, with World War II spreading, he received permission from the U. S. to seek a corps of American airmen to help train the Chinese. A total of 252 men-- 87 pilots and 165 ground personnel-- joined the "American volunteer group." Its popular name resulted from a misunderstanding of the sharks' teeth painted on the noses of the aircraft. The Tigers formed three squadrons-- "Adam and Eve," "Panda Bears," and "Hell's Angels"-- supported by the expert pilots of the China National Aviation Corps, a daring supply transport group. So effectively had Chennault studied Japanese air tactics that his tiny band officially destroyed 539 enemy aircraft while losing only 90 itself. During 1941-1942, they checked Japan's invasion of China, then joined regular units. Jack Cornelius, also a native of Commerce and a close friend of Chennault's, was a member of the first pursuit squadron of the Tigers.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This marker honors the birthplace of Claire L. Chennault (1890–1958), the Louisiana-born aviator who became one of World War II's most inventive air commanders. Retired from a pioneering flying career, he was recruited in 1937 to help China build an air force against Japanese raids, and by 1941 he had assembled the American Volunteer Group—the legendary "Flying Tigers," their shark-toothed noses mistaken for tiger stripes. His band of pilots studied Japanese tactics so closely that they downed hundreds of enemy planes while losing only a fraction of their own, helping check Japan's invasion of China.
Why it matters
Chennault's Flying Tigers became an enduring symbol of American daring in the China-Burma-India theater, and this quiet Texas town claims the roots of a strategist who reshaped aerial warfare.
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Related people
- · Claire L. Chennault
- · Chiang Kai-Shek
- · Jack Cornelius
Related events
- · World War II
- · Flying Tigers (American Volunteer Group)
Themes & tags
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