Claire Chennault

Overview

Claire Lee Chennault (September 6, 1893 – July 27, 1958) was an American military aviator and major general best known for leading the American Volunteer Group (AVG), popularly called the “Flying Tigers,” during World War II, and for commanding the U.S. Army Air Forces in China from 1942 to 1945. A fierce advocate for fighter aircraft tactics, he revolutionized air combat strategies and played a pivotal role in supporting China against Japanese forces. After the war, Chennault founded Civil Air Transport (CAT), which later became Air America, and his involvement with these airlines established documented connections to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), particularly in supporting "anti-communist" efforts in Asia.

Personal Life:

Born on September 6, 1893, in Commerce, Texas, to John Stonewall Jackson Chennault and Jessie Lee Chennault, Claire’s birth year was often misstated as 1890 due to his father adjusting his age for college eligibility. Raised in rural Louisiana (Gilbert and Waterproof), he developed self-reliance through hunting and exploring the bayous. His mother died of tuberculosis in 1901, and he was raised by his aunt, Louise Chase, and later his stepmother, Lottie Barnes.

Chennault briefly attended Louisiana State University (LSU) as a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadet but left due to financial constraints. He completed a teacher’s training program at Louisiana State Normal School (now Northwestern State University) in Natchitoches in 1910, becoming a teacher in Louisiana.

Chennault married Nell Thompson in 1911, with whom he had eight children: John Stephen, Max Thompson, Charles Lee, Peggy Sue, Claire Patterson, David Wallace, Robert Kenneth, and Rosemary Louise. The marriage ended in divorce in 1946. In 1947, he married Chen Xiangmei (Anna Chennault), a Chinese reporter, and had two daughters, Claire Anna and Cynthia Louise. Anna became a prominent Republican lobbyist for Taiwan in Washington, D.C.

A heavy smoker, Chennault suffered from chronic bronchitis and lung cancer. He underwent surgery to remove part of his lung but succumbed to the disease on July 27, 1958, at Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, at age 64. Nine days earlier, he was promoted to the honorary rank of lieutenant general. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, with a headstone inscribed in English and Chinese.

Military Career:

World War I and Early Service:

Chennault enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917, initially rejected for pilot training but eventually earning his wings in 1919 after persistent efforts. Commissioned in the Army Air Service in 1920, he served at bases like Langley Field, Virginia, and Kelly Field, Texas. In 1931, he graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School and became an instructor, leading the “Three Men on a Flying Trapeze” aerobatic team. He authored The Role of Defensive Pursuit (1935), advocating for fighter aircraft superiority over bombers, a view that clashed with Air Corps doctrine.

Retirement and Move to China:

Plagued by chronic bronchitis, partial deafness from open-cockpit flying, and disputes with superiors, Chennault retired from the U.S. Army in 1937 with the rank of captain. That year, he accepted an offer from Madame Chiang Kai-shek to serve as an aviation adviser to the Chinese Air Force, which was struggling against Japanese invasion during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Flying Tigers (1941–1942):

In 1941, with U.S. government approval, Chennault formed the 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG), nicknamed the “Flying Tigers,” comprising U.S. pilots flying P-40B Tomahawk aircraft. Trained in his innovative fighter tactics, the AVG achieved an outstanding combat record against Japanese forces in Burma and China. After the U.S. entered World War II in December 1941, the AVG was absorbed into the U.S. Army Air Forces as the China Air Task Force (later the 14th Air Force) in 1942, with Chennault recalled to active duty as a colonel, soon promoted to brigadier general (1942) and major general (1943).

World War II Leadership:

As commander of the 14th Air Force, Chennault led operations defending the Burma Road and supporting Chinese ground forces, often flying dangerous missions over the Himalayas (“the Hump”). He frequently clashed with General Joseph Stilwell, the U.S. Army commander in China, over strategy and resource allocation. Chennault’s high regard for Chiang Kai-shek led him to lobby President Franklin D. Roosevelt, contributing to Stilwell’s removal in 1944. He also collaborated with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Sino-American Special Technical Cooperative Organization (SACO) for intelligence, including trading aerial photography for data on Japanese movements. Frustrated by interference from the OSS and General George Marshall, Chennault retired again in July 1945, citing health concerns.

Post-War Career and CIA/Air America Connections:

Civil Air Transport (CAT):

In 1946, Chennault returned to China and, with Whiting Willauer, founded Civil Air Transport (CAT) on January 29, 1946, initially to deliver relief supplies under a $4 million contract with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). CAT soon became active in the Chinese Civil War, transporting munitions and troops for Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government against the Chinese Communists.

CIA Acquisition and Air America:

In August 1950, the CIA secretly purchased CAT’s assets, integrating it into covert operations to support U.S. anti-communist efforts in Asia. Chennault remained actively involved in CAT’s operations, which relocated to Formosa (Taiwan) in January 1950 after the Communist victory in China. CAT, later rebranded as Air America, conducted supply missions for Nationalist Chinese forces, French troops in Indochina, and the Kuomintang’s occupation of northern Burma during the 1950s. It also supported the Thai police force and, during the Vietnam War, provided logistics for the U.S. intelligence community. Chennault’s role included overseeing these efforts, leveraging his expertise and regional contacts.

Specific CIA Connections:

The CIA committed up to $500,000 to finance a CAT airbase and $200,000 to cover hazardous missions, airlifting personnel and equipment from cities like Chungking and Nanking. This formalized CAT’s role as a CIA proprietary airline.

CAT’s missions included supporting Chiang Kai-shek’s claimed 600,000–650,000 "anti-communist" guerrillas in China, as noted by historian John Prados, though loyalty to Taiwan varied. Chennault’s advocacy for these efforts aligned with his long-standing support for Chiang’s regime.

In 1951, Chennault testified before the Senate Joint Committee on Armed Forces and Foreign Relations, investigating the 1949 fall of China to the Communists. He argued for increased U.S. support for Chiang’s forces, reflecting his "anti-communist" stance. His 1951 New York Herald Tribune articles praised Chiang’s military readiness and urged U.S. aid to counter communism, further aligning with CIA objectives.

Legacy:

Chennault’s innovative fighter tactics and leadership of the Flying Tigers made him a World War II hero, earning him 17 medals, including the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Distinguished Flying Cross. His creation of CAT and its evolution into Air America cemented his role in U.S. covert operations in Asia, supporting "anti-communist" efforts during the Cold War.

Recognitions include Chennault Air Force Base (now Chennault Airpark) in Lake Charles, Louisiana, a 1990 commemorative postage stamp, and induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1972.

Chennault’s leadership of CAT and its CIA acquisition in 1950 are well-documented through declassified records and CIA statements, confirming his role in covert operations. CAT’s missions under his oversight supported U.S. intelligence objectives, including logistics for anti-communist forces in China, Indochina, and Burma.

Sources:

• Britannica, “Claire L. Chennault,” April 4, 2025. • Wikipedia, “Claire Lee Chennault,” October 27, 2002. • Spartacus Educational, “Claire Lee Chennault.” • 64 Parishes, “General Claire Chennault and the Flying Tigers,” May 22, 2023. • CIA posts on X, 2017–2018, confirming CAT’s acquisition. • Chennault Aviation Museum, “History,” February 12, 2019. • World War II Database, “Claire Chennault.”