【Observer Network News Community Text/Wei Diying】
A few days ago, during a visit to the United States, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe met with representatives and relatives of AMERICAN servicemen who participated in China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Jay Wynyard, a veteran who participated in the "Hump" route flight, Neil Kelewe, the granddaughter of the commander of the "Flying Tigers" Chennault, and others attended the meeting.
Chennault was a famous soldier in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and World War II in China, and was highly known in Both China and the United States.
However, there has always been a lot of debate about Chennault's identity.
For example, many people believe that Chennault and the "Flying Tigers" led by him are "mercenaries" and that it is a fact to help China resist the war, but the starting point is not sympathy and support for China's war of resistance, but high remuneration.
P-40 fighter jet from the National Air Force Museum, painted by the "Flying Tigers"
This is a misreading of this history.
In the 1930s, the Japanese Aviation Corps was one of the most advanced air forces in the world, and the Japanese pilots of this period were trained for many years and were the best in the world. Chennault promised high rewards in order to attract American pilots to China to participate in the war, which was necessary. But defining Chennault as a "mercenary" is therefore entirely simplistic.
Chennault's participation in the war in China was the result of the strong efforts of the US Government, especially the US military.
Since the early 1930s, relations between Japan and the United States have become increasingly tense. The U.S. government judged that there would be a war between Japan and the United States, so it began to implement a plan to prepare for war against Japan. In terms of its attitude toward Japan's war readiness, the US military is even more positive.
However, at that time, the mainstream of the US Congress was isolationism, opposing the preparation of the US government and the military, and also opposing the US aid to China, fearing that it would trigger a war between the United States and Japan.
In the 1930s, the U.S. Congress passed a number of Chinese legislation that prohibited the United States from lending money to warring countries and exporting military materiel, but not strategic materials such as steel and oil.
At that time, China was still an agricultural country, and the main military materials had to rely on imports; while Japan was already an industrialized country, military materials could basically be produced, and the steel and oil needed could be imported from the United States.
Therefore, the Chinese legislation actually helped Japan and was actually a policy of appeasement.
It is precisely to break this appeasement policy that the US government and military have not only acquiesced to Chennault's participation in the war in China, but also given the green light.
Chennault joined the U.S. Army Air Force during World War I, was one of the elders of the U.S. Air Force, and also had deep ties in the U.S. military community.
Officers of Chennault's level who came to China to participate in the war could not have succeeded without the acquiescence and encouragement of the US government and the military.
In 1940, Japan surrendered to oppress China and launched indiscriminate and brutal bombing of Chinese cities. Chongqing, as the wartime capital of China at that time, was the focus of the bombing.
At the end of 1940, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to bypass the Chinese legislation and export fighter jets to China on a large scale; in April 1941, Roosevelt issued an order allowing reserve personnel of the U.S. army to join the Chinese Volunteer Air Force, which became commonly known as the "Flying Tigers.".
The U.S. government and military encouraged Chennault to come to China to fight in the war, with several goals:
First, the Chinese Air Force suffered heavy losses in the War of Resistance Against Japan, and Chennault came to China to help China rebuild its air force, strengthen China's anti-Japanese forces, and prevent Japan from controlling China;
Second, the US Government and the military judged that there would be a war against Japan, and allowed Chennault and the "Flying Tigers" to come to China to accumulate actual combat experience in Japanese aviation operations, which could improve the training level of US aviation and help the US military fight against Japan in the future.
Third, through the US media coverage of Chennault and the "Flying Tigers", it aroused the sentiment of sympathy for China and opposition to Japan in the United States, and pushed Congress to abandon isolationism and appeasement.
From a historical point of view, Chennault and the "Flying Tigers" have achieved these three goals well, especially in promoting American public opinion to abandon isolationism and appeasement. With the United States entering the war against Japan, Chennault also became a hero of the United States, appearing on the cover of American media such as "Time" and "Life" many times.
So, although on the surface, Chennault and the members of the "Flying Tigers" all participated as civilians, which can be said to be "mercenaries". However, this was due to the fact that at that time, the US Congress passed the Central Legislative Council, prohibiting the export of foreign military materials and sending military personnel, and the Roosevelt administration wanted to aid China, but it was hindered by the Chinese legislation and could only bypass the Central Legislation through "mercenaries".
As a "mercenary", Chennault faithfully carried out the strategy of the US government and the military, so he recruited American pilots and purchased aircraft relatively smoothly. If the Legislation is to be strictly enforced, the U.S. government prohibits the export of military aircraft to China.
After pearl harbor, the United States declared war on Japan, and Chennault's "Flying Tigers" were greatly expanded and upgraded to the U.S. Army's 14th Air Force, which is the highest strategic unit of the US Army Aviation. Chennault was also promoted to brigadier general and became commander of the 14th Air Force.
This is actually equivalent to the previous experience of Chennault and the "Flying Tigers" in China, which is also included in the service experience in the US military.
Therefore, Chennault's participation in the war in China is not a "mercenary", but is encouraged and tacitly accepted by the US government and military, and is also highly in line with the strategy of the US government and military. Chennault was later able to return to the U.S. Army, promoted to senior officer, and served as commander of the 14th Air Force, for the reason that this is why.