[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 65 (Monday, April 18, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         IN HONOR OF THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FLYING TIGERS

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                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 18, 2022

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, today I wish to commemorate the 
80th Anniversary of the Flying Tigers. Originally named the American 
Volunteer Group (AVG), the Flying Tigers were a group of American 
aviators who were recruited by China during World War II to fight 
Japanese forces in China and Burma from 1941 to 1942. The 100-member 
company assisted in the transport of vital supplies, provided air cover 
for the Burma Road, helped protect China's capital region, and opposed 
Japan's invasion of China. The unit is credited with 297 enemy aircraft 
destroyed despite a lack of medical support and maintenance crew. Over 
the course of the unit's service, 14 dedicated crew were killed, 
captured, or deemed missing in combat.
  The Flying Tigers were led by Retired U.S. Army Captain, Claire Lee 
Chennault, whose training enabled the utilization of high-speed diving 
and climbing techniques to exploit the weaknesses of the larger 
Japanese aircraft. The unit was lauded for their ability to inflict 
damage on Japan's superior force despite the significant disadvantages 
they held. The success achieved by the Flying Tigers on the battlefield 
was a morale boost for the Chinese and American allies at a time when 
the war appeared to be going in Japan's favor.
  Madam Speaker, I honor the bravery of the Flying Tigers, and I 
celebrate the efforts of the Asian Pacific Public Affairs Association 
and the Sino-American Heritage Foundation to memorialize the Flying 
Tigers' legacy.

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