iflyforfun
Pre-takeoff checklist
So, since being overseas, most of my posts have been just "shooting the BS" type of crap. Well, I finally have something on topic to share.
I was giving a friend a ride to the local supermarket and he told me he was a bit short on time because he had to be at the Intercontinental in an hour and a half to meet his friend, Eddy. I told him I didn't think I knew Eddy. He tells me that he is a Flying Tiger that used to hang out at his bar and they got to be friends.
So, I'm not sure how exactly one defines a "real" Flying Tiger, but Eddy meets it for me. He was born in Hong Kong and thus is a British citizen. During his freshmen year of college, Japan invaded Hong Kong and his parents sent him to mainland China. He ended up with no job, no family, no friends and living among strangers when he saw a posting recruiting pilots. He applied and was accepted into the Chinese Air Force. Since he spoke perfect English (having studies in a English university) he was sent to the US for flight training ... I believe he said it was somewhere in Arizona, but could have been Texas - I've forgotten.
While there, he was given the name of Kid Long since he is pretty small in size and has the family name Long. He was trained in bombers and flew B-25s. While there, he also met Chennault. When Chennault found out that he was a British citizen flying for the Chinese Air Force and schedule for return to China, he told Eddy that he had to fly for the AVG. Eddy returned to China and "flew the hump" in C-47s. He wasn't a fighter pilot and I don't know if the AVG actually had C-47s, so I'm not sure if that makes him an official Flying Tiger or not. That said, he flew in China and was recruited by Chennault, so close enough for me. Everyone else said "he's a Flying Tiger" but Eddy didn't actually make that claim himself ... so don't know whether he was officially in the AVG or not.
He ended up returning to bombers and flew raids on Burma. After the war, he ended as the personal pilot for Mao for a few months. When the Communist determined that it wasn't wise to have a former British citizen and English speaker so close to the boss, they arrested him, charged him with being a spy and sent him to prison. He didn't discuss this much because it clearly upset him. I believe he spent quite a bit of time in prison before being released. When he was arrested, all of his possessions were confiscated ... medals, pictures and all. Now, his private collection actually consists of copies of pictures of him that his son found in an archive in the US. He's never flown again since his arrest, but recently have become a bit of a local celebrity in Chongqing where he lives (a city the Japanese bombed heavily in WWII) and has been interviewed and had his story featured on a few CCTV shows. He finally came full circle and was invited to Beijing a few years back ... didn't get his medals back, but got to meet the leadership and was thanked for his contribution to the war effort.
We only had a few hours together, first in the hotel bar then over dinner. Eddy is 90 now and there were several of us, so many of the stories were told in bits and pieces and I wasn't taking notes, so some of my details may be a bit off. It was a real privilege to meet Eddy and spend some time with him.
He had the Director of the Chongqing Flying Tigers museum with him and has arranged for us to have a private tour with him this Saturday ... I'll definitely be bringing my kids with me to meet him and am really looking forward to spending some more time with him - an amazing man.
I was giving a friend a ride to the local supermarket and he told me he was a bit short on time because he had to be at the Intercontinental in an hour and a half to meet his friend, Eddy. I told him I didn't think I knew Eddy. He tells me that he is a Flying Tiger that used to hang out at his bar and they got to be friends.
So, I'm not sure how exactly one defines a "real" Flying Tiger, but Eddy meets it for me. He was born in Hong Kong and thus is a British citizen. During his freshmen year of college, Japan invaded Hong Kong and his parents sent him to mainland China. He ended up with no job, no family, no friends and living among strangers when he saw a posting recruiting pilots. He applied and was accepted into the Chinese Air Force. Since he spoke perfect English (having studies in a English university) he was sent to the US for flight training ... I believe he said it was somewhere in Arizona, but could have been Texas - I've forgotten.
While there, he was given the name of Kid Long since he is pretty small in size and has the family name Long. He was trained in bombers and flew B-25s. While there, he also met Chennault. When Chennault found out that he was a British citizen flying for the Chinese Air Force and schedule for return to China, he told Eddy that he had to fly for the AVG. Eddy returned to China and "flew the hump" in C-47s. He wasn't a fighter pilot and I don't know if the AVG actually had C-47s, so I'm not sure if that makes him an official Flying Tiger or not. That said, he flew in China and was recruited by Chennault, so close enough for me. Everyone else said "he's a Flying Tiger" but Eddy didn't actually make that claim himself ... so don't know whether he was officially in the AVG or not.
He ended up returning to bombers and flew raids on Burma. After the war, he ended as the personal pilot for Mao for a few months. When the Communist determined that it wasn't wise to have a former British citizen and English speaker so close to the boss, they arrested him, charged him with being a spy and sent him to prison. He didn't discuss this much because it clearly upset him. I believe he spent quite a bit of time in prison before being released. When he was arrested, all of his possessions were confiscated ... medals, pictures and all. Now, his private collection actually consists of copies of pictures of him that his son found in an archive in the US. He's never flown again since his arrest, but recently have become a bit of a local celebrity in Chongqing where he lives (a city the Japanese bombed heavily in WWII) and has been interviewed and had his story featured on a few CCTV shows. He finally came full circle and was invited to Beijing a few years back ... didn't get his medals back, but got to meet the leadership and was thanked for his contribution to the war effort.
We only had a few hours together, first in the hotel bar then over dinner. Eddy is 90 now and there were several of us, so many of the stories were told in bits and pieces and I wasn't taking notes, so some of my details may be a bit off. It was a real privilege to meet Eddy and spend some time with him.
He had the Director of the Chongqing Flying Tigers museum with him and has arranged for us to have a private tour with him this Saturday ... I'll definitely be bringing my kids with me to meet him and am really looking forward to spending some more time with him - an amazing man.
