General Claire Lee Chennault And The Flying Tigers - (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Preface

A great accomplishment can only be achieved by a great man.

The smoke of World War II, and Japan's invasion of China, has long ago dissipated, but many heroic stories remain.

In the 1930's Japan's military was strong, and China was no rival. But the god of luck seemed to sympathize with China, sending a foreigner who had nothing to do with China - a retired American fighter pilot named Claire Lee Chennault.

Chennault's time in the military was marked by difficulty, including chronic health issues, such as partial deafness caused by prolonged exposure to the noise of plane engines.

Chennault loved flying. In the early 20th century, when bomber theory was main stream, Chennault followed his own unique insights and advocated pursuit aircraft. Sadly, his innovative thinking was ignored.

Soong Mei Ling, wife of Chiang Kai-shek, China's supreme commander at the time, sent an invitation letter to the retired Chennault. This letter changed both Chennault's and China's destiny.

This album of paintings is a tribute, dedicated to General Claire Lee Chennault, Flying Tigers, and all those who were willing to shed their blood and lay down their lives. It is because of their sacrifices and contributions, we may breathe in the air of democracy and freedom today.

The Beauty and Praise of Altruists Foundation

- Founder, Robert Young

前言

非常之功，必待非常之人。

二戰日本侵華戰火煙硝早已散去，但許多英雄事蹟至今仍然被人們傳頌。

1930年代，日本軍力雄厚，中國根本不是對手。但是幸運之神似乎同情中國，賜給她一位與中國毫無關聯的外國人-退休的美國上尉戰鬥機飛行員Claire Lee Chennault(中文名陳納德)。陳納德的軍旅生涯並不如意，且有慢性病的問題，例如長期受到引擎噪音影響，聽力受到損傷。

陳納德熱愛飛行，在20世紀初轟炸機理論為主流的年代裡，陳納德就有自己的獨特見解，提倡戰鬥機追擊術，但他的創新思維並未獲得重視。

當時中國最高統帥蔣介石的夫人宋美齡，給退休的陳納德一封邀請信。這封信從此改變他的命運，也改變了中國的命運。

我們製作這一本畫冊，向陳納德將軍、飛虎隊以及所有願意流血與失去生命的人致意，因為他們的犧牲奉獻，讓我們今天得以在民主的國度裡呼吸自由的空氣。

利他之美基金會 - 創辦人楊宜誠

楊宜誠（Robert Young）出生於台灣，並接受了早期教育，1985年來到美國，在中部密歇根大學獲得計算機科學碩士學位。

碩士畢業後返回台灣，受聘於Chevron台灣分公司擔任IT工程師。2008年，他從公司退休並移居美國，在洛杉磯期間他參與社區志工，為弱勢族群提供服務。

2016年，為了追求個人慈善理念，讓有需求的人得想更多資源，他創立了一個非營利組織─利他之美基金會，為鼓勵年輕人社區服務，基金會提供資源讓年輕人實踐自己設計的服務項目。作者與Los Angeles Mission, Youth Volunteer Corps, Katie's Krops, Chennault Aviation and Military Museum一直保持合作。

2021年是二戰期間美國來華志願隊，綽號"飛虎隊"成立80周年。作者邀請一位年輕的藝術家製作多張圖畫，描繪其指揮官陳納德將軍並予以紀念。

作者希望這些插圖能夠講述陳納德將軍與飛虎隊幫助中國抗日的英雄故事。此外，也向美國與中國人民之間建立的友誼表達致意，事蹟將永被銘記。

Review Quotes

Foreword

"It is my fondest hope that the sign of the Flying Tiger will remain aloft just as long as it is needed and it will always be remembered on both shores of the Pacific as the symbol of two great peoples working toward a common goal in war and peace." - Clarie Lee Chennault

General Chennault, my grandfather, wrote an autobiography in 1949 on his life's experiences. The last sentence of that book is quoted above. As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of one of his greatest accomplishments, the formation of the Flying Tigers, it is good to reflect on what brought him to the point of such a great accomplishment.

My grandfather worked hard and overcame many obstacles. One of his greatest qualities was that he never gave up on what he believed in and he was rarely satisfied, always feeling he could achieve more.

When he made the decision to go to China, he wrote a letter to his brother he states "Life moves on cycle upon cycle and life must find its justification in accomplishment. When an old well-known path is blocked a new path must be opened." He left his family to go to China telling them he would be gone for three months, he stayed for over 8 years.

When he arrived in China, he was surprised by the devastation he found. He saw a people who were defenseless against a mighty enemy but he saw a people who never gave up and were willing to fight to the very end. He knew he found his justification.

he 80th of anniversary of the Flying Tigers is very important event in the history of China and the U.S. It shows the importance of people who put aside political differences to follow their belief in working together toward a common goal.

The was between the U.S. and Japan before the Flying Tigers even had their first victory but these brave men continued to fight for China for seven more months. They formed relationships that lasted a life time. We are now their voice. Many Chinese and Americans lost their lives fighting together, through their shared blood during a time of war we must build on their bond to make a better future for our generations to come.

序言

"我衷心希望，飛虎隊的旗幟能夠永遠飛揚，並成為太平洋兩岸偉大的美中兩國人民共同奮鬥的象徵，永被銘記。" - 克萊爾-李-陳納德

陳納德將軍，我的外祖父，在1949年寫了一本述說其經歷的自傳。上面 的句子就是自傳的結語。當我們紀念飛虎隊成立80周年時，也藉此回顧他偉大成就的原因。 我的外祖父工作賣力並克服許多困難。他其中一項特質就是永不放棄所堅信的，也不輕易滿足，總認為可以做得更好。

當他決定去中國時，他給弟弟寫了一封信："生活周而復始，生活必須在成就中找到方向。當一條眾所周知的舊路徑被阻塞時，必須開闢一條新路徑。"他離開家人去中國時，告訴他們他將離開三個月，卻待了8年多。

當到達中國時，他被眼前的破壞景象感到驚訝。他看到了一個面對強大敵人卻毫無防備的民族，但也看到了一個永不放棄、願意戰鬥到最後的民族。他知道他找到了自己的方向。

虎隊成立80週年是中美兩國歷史上非常重要的事件，它表明人們拋開政治分歧，為共同目標而努力的重要性。 飛虎隊在中國取得第一場胜利之前美國和日本就已開戰，但這些勇士繼續為中國戰鬥了七個月。他們與中國人建立的關係持續了一生。我們現在是他們的聲音。許多中國人和美國人在戰爭中共同犧牲了生命，我們必須透過他們的鮮血建立聯繫，為我們的子孫後代創造更美好的未來。