<p>4 July also was a special day on the other side of the globe. The USAAF was scheduled to induct the pilots, planes and ground crews of the American Volunteer Group, familiarly known by their nickname of 'Flying Tigers'. They were a remarkable group of mercenaries, who had more than money as motivation, and their story has been told many times.
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<p>They had been formed as an independent unit to fly and fight in China under the leadership of Brigadier General Claire L. Chennault, a great air tactician. Chennault was one of the few air power advocates who believed that the bomber didn't necessarily have to get through, and that a dynamic defense could stop an air strike.
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<p>The AVG pilots, like other Americans flying with foreign air forces, were offered the option of joining their own country's units after the US declared war. Once inducted, the AVG would become part of the China Air Task Force, and would continue to serve under Chennault, assigned to 10AF. Most pilots elected not to make the transfer; some had better jobs waiting, some wanted to rejoin their original outfits in the Navy or the Marines, and some couldn't pass the AAF physical requirements. Only five decided to move, along with a few ground crew personnel. In a typical display of their morale and their ethics, about 20 AVG pilots agreed to stay around and fight until they were adequately replaced.
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<p>The final score achieved by those soldiers of fortune was impressive. They destroyed about 300 Japanese aircraft at a cost of nine of their pilots and about 50 of their aircraft, Curtiss P-40Bs. They left an outstanding combat record as a goal for their successors and they gained a place in history.
