Robert T. Smith interview (video and transcript, 4 of 8), 1991

Boring, Frank (interviewer)

Christopher, Frank (director)

Fei Hu Films

Interview of Robert T. Smith by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. R. T. Smith joined the American Volunteer Group (AVG) in 1941, after resiging his commission as a U.S. Army Air Corps basic flight instructor. He served in the AVG as Flight Leader for the 3rd Squadron, "Hell's Angels." In the AVG he was credited with shooting down 8 Japanese planes and was awarded the Nine Star Medal and Order of Cloud Banner by the Chinese government. He returned to the US in 1942 and was drafted into the US Army, but was quickly re-commissioned as a US Air Corps Second Lieutenant. Over the course of the war, Smith returned to the Pacific Theater and flew 55 combat missions over Burma. He was awarded the Air Medal, Distinguisghed Flying Cross, and Silver Star. In this tape, Smith describes the training period in Toungoo, his experience belonging to the Third Squadron, and their first combat with the Japanese pilots near Rangoon.

1991-04-23

Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.

RHC-88_Smith_Robert_T_1991-04-23_v04

video/mp4

application/pdf

Moving Image

Text

eng