287 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/964752c094beddb6a157d043632a3e26.mp4 2c8d9a3c5713ee73984cde4d22aa301b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/935d2e4c062458b66b81a657ecae6e6c.pdf 08a23db6b6da56b48cb3460df661e068 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interviews Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edwin “Ed” Fobes Date of Interview: 05-29-1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 2] FRANK BORING: If you could give us your first impression and then any description of the camp that was there in Toungoo. ED FOBES: Well, again, we arrived at Toungoo at the old airport there - the old airfield I should say. Some of the fellows were quite surprised, I wasn’t because I’d been out in the Far East and I fairly used to the thatched top buildings and such they had out there. They were commodious, of course, like anything tropical air you are going to have mosquitos - you’re going to have bugs. Some of the fellows had never seen a mosquito net - that was quite a surprise. Also, there were a few scorpions around that no one really welcomed. We’d been pretty well warned about them, to watch out, to shake your shoes out and things like this before you slid them on in the morning. It is just a matter of acclimation, to get used to it there. The main thing I remember about Toungoo in the first few days there, I remember very vividly. The people had hired a bunch of local cooks and have you ever had breakfast, dinner and supper curried - hot, curried food. That lasted four or five days, the whole outfit was in an uproar. They were ready to revolt or do anything. So they fired that catering group, shall we call it and brought some other people in there to cook. I think it was the Savoy Restaurant chain from Burma. And they came in and started giving us the kind of food that a bunch of hungry yanks wanted - not all the curries, but otherwise they just settled down to get the training started. The aircraft started coming up. The crew chiefs were assigned to their �planes - the clerks did whatever anyone asked them to do. I was at the time assigned to the second squadron under Scarsdale Jack Newkirk who was a fine, fine man and I did his bidding is about all I can say. FRANK BORING: Give us an idea of your duties if you will and I realize it was like you say do this, do that kind of thing. But give us an idea of what it was like in terms of what you actually had to do. ED FOBES: Well, my recollection is a little vague again. The duties we - well the group was formed actually - they figured this can operate just like a US squadron and you had to have personnel records. You had reports that had to be rendered routinely. We were asked to bring out copies of the various and sundry forms that we used in our work, in our squadrons, in our units. But there was none of that. We didn’t have official personnel records, we didn't have reports being rendered on routine and such as that. So really there wasn’t a heck of a lot for us to do as clerks. Not that there were many of us only two or three. Of course, the operations clerks they worked down in operations, kept the time sheets, the aircraft logs and that, and those administrative clerks - only two or three of us. We were each assigned to one of the squadrons they hadn’t even set up a headquarters as yet, because there was really no need for it until they actually got operating. So, my contributions there were negligible. Just being available if someone wanted something - go do it. Might call me a go for. FRANK BORING: Who were the administrative staff that you had most contact with? Like Harvey Greenlaw or any of these. Chennault also, when did you first meet Chennault? ED FOBES: Oh, I met the old man for the first time, hard to remember. He was there and on the exact occasion that I met him for the first time, I do not recall. I mean I’d seen him several times around and again being just a clerk, I wasn’t one of the cogs of the organization, so he had no reason to look me up and I had no reason to look up a �bird colonel or former colonel. It was just that way. I got on his, shall we call it his S list one time. Sir Robert [?] ......a VIP, VIP, VIP - veddy, veddy British type came out to visit us and he talked to us a few minutes out there and as he was departing, I asked for his autograph. And I got it. I got chewed too. That was not proper protocol of any manner, shape or form. I think that’s the first time General Chennault, the old man really knew me, because he chewed me. FRANK BORING: Who were some of the other staff members that you had contact with and what was your impressions of them? ED FOBES: Well, actually the only staff members that I can remember closely at Toungoo days, at least was Adair and he seemed extremely efficient. Very cognizant of the situation out there and really all out to help us in any manner shape or form he could. I didn’t meet Greenlaw or his wife Olga that we called Olga from the Volga - I believe she was a White Russian refugee - until I got up to Kunming later on. FRANK BORING: Was there any incident that you can recall from your observation point that stick out during this training period in Toungoo, in terms of concern for the pilots, reaction to the abilities of the pilots in training, the crew chiefs, anything that sticks out from that particular period of time? ED FOBES: No, I think recollection, the guys pitched in. It was very pleasing, it wasn’t what we might call into service rivalry. Everyone seemed to mesh in, Navy, Marine, Air Force - the guys all got together. They were professionals, they knew their job and they got the job done. The conditions sometimes were a little hazardous, a little shortage of this, that or the other. They had to cannibalize at times to keep the planes in the air - keep the equipment going. They did provide us some recreational activities occasionally. I remember one specific instance where they took a bus load or two of us up to a teak farm and we got to watch the elephants roam the teak logs and �the training of some of the younger elephants. Unfortunately at that time, most of us were wearing shorts and we had to walk thru a bunch of tall grass and we got covered with leeches and those blood sucking leeches are really blood sucking leeches, but they quickly told us “Don’t pull them off, hit them with a lighted cigarette” and we did and they fell on off. But that was quite an experience. FRANK BORING: There was, at this time, as you say, some of the men really pitched in but some of the people who had arrived there gave up and went back. Do you remember any of that? Do you recall any of that? ED FOBES: One or two of the pilots left. I don’t remember any of the enlisted personnel leaving. Possibly there was, I’m not cognizant of it. FRANK BORING: Immediately after - Could you give us an idea of what would be called a routine during the period of time in Toungoo? What was that like? ED FOBES: Toungoo routine was typical to any training mission any training base. The planes as quickly as they arrived up after being assembled down in Rangoon, they were tested and the pilots got up and flew them. There was tactics training as Chennault was a great tactician and his theories were beautifully proven out by the group subsequently. Otherwise again it was routine day in and day out. The crew chiefs crew [?] the armourers floated the guns, the ordinance men did this, the clerks did this, the cooks did this, whatever. FRANK BORING: Give us an idea of the difference between the military in the Philippines and the AVT? ED FOBES: Pre world war two military spit and polish, the extreme delineating line between the peon enlisted men which we were considered in those days very strongly and the officer hierarchy. There was absolutely night and day. When we got together there at Toungoo �and forming the group, this disappeared really. There was a squadron leader naturally you had to have a commander of each organization and the pilots had a officer or they were a wing man something in that category. But otherwise, I saw no discrimination. We had a line chief, of course, who was in charge of the crew chiefs because they had to have somebody with knowledge and ability to refer problems to and we had a head armour officer [?]. I guess they called him for the ordinance and the gun, but otherwise there was nothing in that line. We were informal, there was no spit and polish or sir this or sir that. It was strictly let’s get the job done, camaraderie and good will. FRANK BORING: That was excellent. ED FOBES: There was really, just as I said before, just be available if somebody wants something or needs something and try to do it or get it. We had no formal administration as such and really no need for any. So trying to describe what I did, I think the term I used before, gofer pretty well covers it. FRANK BORING: Who approached you and what did they tell you were going to be doing to go to Loiwing? ED FOBES: That came as sort of a surprise to me when I was notified I was going up to Loiwing. Another one of the members, a communications type, a navy, Ralph Sasser and I were both shipped up there. We might have been Shanghaied, I’m truly not sure. They sure didn’t have much for me to do and maybe I was getting on someone’s nerves because I was sitting around all the time. I’m not sure, but they said, no you’re going up to Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company’s Plant at Loiwing and they’ll find some clerical, administrative work for you to do up there. Whether that was a long range plan or a spare of the moment decision somebody at Toungoo made, I don’t know, but we got taken up by van or vehicle in town to Toungoo and put on a train and the next thing after a long and arduous trip we headed up in [?] �Burma. Right at the head of the Burma Road, where the Burma Road started. We spent a couple of days there waiting for someone to come down from Loiwing to pick us up to take us back up to China. I believe Bill Law [?] was the guy’s name, they called him a merit of Lashio. He looked out for us as requested. I had one interesting experience there. Leland Stowe who was a well-known reporter from the Chicago newspaper, Midwest newspapers I guess, he was out there at the time. I even had a few drinks with him and he was strictly a character. I remember a little poem he put in my autograph book. “There was a young maid from Lashio. Who was full of the well-known pashio. She would perform by the moon or at daybreak or noon, but never for less than cold cashio.” That’s stuck in my memory all these years. That poem by the way, and my autograph book I had donated to the museum in San Diego and then several years ago when they had that fire down there, it was one of the items destroyed. In fact, most of what I had from those days, I had donated down there and lost it. FRANK BORING: When was this trip to Loiwing? ED FOBES: I would say late October - I felt it was fine from my own viewpoint. Morale was good most of the time after the improvement in the food and with more and more equipment coming in. More and more of the planes coming on line and supplies coming in, from my viewpoint everything was pretty good. FRANK BORING: Tell us about your arrival in Lashio and what were you told you were going to be doing and then what actually did you end up doing? ED FOBES: In Loiwing - I got up to Loiwing, I forget who came up and got us, but someone came down in a station wagon from Loiwing and we were brought up there into the beautiful, huge club house that was owned by the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company which was Bill Pawley's headquarters there. Put in nice, comfortable rooms - �welcomed. As far as duties were concerned, I’m sorry I don’t remember the gentlemen's name that I was placed under. He was the head accountant, bookkeeper, American. They found a spot for me in his office and I was given some routine accounting, bookkeeping chores to do and I kept working at something along that line most of the time. Then we received word that the convoy would be coming up bringing a whole bunch of food and supplies to be stored up there. So I was told when that stuff got there whenever it was shipped up to set up sort of a Bodega, warehouse and take charge of the stuff and control it. It was for future shipment into China. So there were hundreds and hundreds of hundreds of cases of foodstuffs of various and sundry type. A few cases of spirits, naturally for the ex-service personnel. So between helping out in this bookkeeping, accounting stuff and keeping track of the supplies, I kept fairly busy. We then received word while I was up there - we heard then that Gorson [?] - I forget what radio program it was - that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, which caused quite a stir as anyone would know, we all had friends at Pearl. Service Personnel, that were lost we found out eventually and a couple of days later, we were advised to prepare for a convoy coming up from Burma. I think there were 15 or 18 ton and a half internationals. Two of our pilots in charge - the rest were all Burmese or Indian drivers, and to load up all the food stuffs and take them up to Kunming. Well, this necessitated the trip back from Loiwing down to Lashio, Burma where we then picked up the Burma Road and then on up into Kunming which was the headquarters. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Fobes_Ed_1991-05-29_v02 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fobes, Edwin L. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-29 Title A name given to the resource Ed Fobes interview (video and transcript, 2 of 5), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed "Sarge" Fobes by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Fobes served as AVG Headquarters Clerk. He was stationed in Rangoon and Toungoo, Burma and Loiwing and Kunming, China. In this tape, Fobes describes his first impression of the camp at Toungoo, his duties as a member of a squadron, and his first interaction with General Chennault. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/29702bcdce709033bacb6a0dcf7a42cd.mp4 845d79d5ae5e4d33abba1783a8cc53c3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1f3cdd916a7afca563f7f3c41d097428.pdf c291b783ca1d1e82c495a529b162d4db PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interviews Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edwin “Ed” Fobes Date of Interview: 05-29-1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 3] FRANK BORING: Do you know what CAMCO was doing in Loiwing? What was the operation like and what was… ED FOBES: Loiwing was the headquarters for CAMCO. I believe they had been up in Hankow or somewhere else in China and had to move out of there when the Japanese had started their actions against the Chinese government so the group or Mr. Pawley, Mr. Pawley and his cohorts build this factory down there at Loiwing which was near the Burma border figuring at least that far away the factory would be safe. There wasn’t a great deal going on, I think it was practically getting phased out while I was there although there was some manufacturing of not great consequence. About all I can remember of there. FRANK BORING: Did you ever get a chance to meet with Pawley - get a chance to talk with him? ED FOBES: Mr. Pawley and I had quite a feud going on - I loved to play cribbage and so does he and we’d even bet. Of course he’s a multimillionaire and I’m just a little GI peon. So a penny a square or something like this playing cribbage but we had many, many evenings there of sitting around in the clubhouse there at Loiwing and playing crib. I found him a brilliant man naturally and it was great to know him, associate with him. As were all those people at Loiwing - they were pros. �FRANK BORING: In terms of the - uh there was a certain amount of disagreement between Pawley and Chennault in terms of Chennault's thinking that Pawley was not really living up to the contract with helping the AVG with their equipment and everything. Did you have any inkling of that? Did Pawley ever discuss any of that with you? Or did you have any idea of this friction that was going on? ED FOBES: At the time I knew nothing of it. Mr. Pawley made no mention of it at all that I can recall. He seemed dedicated to the group and what we were doing or trying to do - our target accomplishments and I rated him number one. I mean he was with us period. FRANK BORING: During that period of time, there were a few not only AVG people but people around Burma and in China who were profiteering off of some of the equipment and what not. Did you have any knowledge or contact or any observations about any of the black marketeering that was going on? ED FOBES: Not in the Loiwing area or the Toungoo area either one, not at all. I was never exposed to any of it. In fact there was no one up there in the Loiwing area you could do anything with. We were isolated. This was just a factory that had been built out in the boondocks and all that was there was the factory itself maybe clubhouse and quarters and the quarters and housing for the Chinese employees and their families. There was nothing else there. ED FOBES: There was minor black marketing going on subsequently up in Kunming area Guns were always a premium. Any kind of gun, anything that would shoot would draw a heck of a good price in value and although I was not actually involved in any of this loot shall we say after the fall of Rangoon, I knew stuff came up there. Trucks, a couple of tommy guns that I personally know of that were brought on up there and shall we say peddled on the open market but just one of those things. �FRANK BORING: What about people - we’ve heard of… ED FOBES: I have no knowledge or even a rumor of anything that he might have been involved in. Course I wasn’t that close to him and again the GI or enlisted side up to one of the wheels of the organization, I wouldn’t have been exposed. FRANK BORING: Keeton talks about Hasty you were in involved with. ED FOBES: There was a rumor that one time that Ray Hasty whom I had known from Hamilton field had sold an airplane. But here again, rumors fly. I had no firsthand information. I often wondered if he did. I often wondered where he got the money to open up a nightclub in Karachi, India later on. Whether the two activities correlated or not. FRANK BORING: It was right after this that you were transferred to Kunming. Could you give us an idea of why you were transferred there and what was your first impression? ED FOBES: Well, my transfer up to Kunming from Loiwing was predicated on getting those supplies. The convoy pulled in, we loaded up and FRANK BORING: Let’s wait on that question and finish up - with from your observation, what changed within the AVG with the knowledge that the US was at war? ED FOBES: Knowledge that the US was now involved in the war came to me at Loiwing and the only AVG member besides myself was Ralph Sasser. So the immediate reaction from the two of us was our friends that might have been on duty at Pearl - his were Navy, mine were Army and Air Corps and it would just, well what could we do? We’re here, we’re going to do the job the best we can. Had I been down at Toungoo or at the main base I would of got a reaction, I’m sure. You know the guys all felt the same way. We’re here, now that we’re in it let’s get the thing going. �FRANK BORING: Let’s now go to Kunming, and if you could give us an idea of what you found when you got there and what were your immediate duties? ED FOBES: Well, the troop [?] convoy on the international trucks with Blackie Blackburn and Ed Conant in charge was the Burma Road. It was extremely interesting. The countryside was rough, rugged. The road had just been hewed out of the mountains. There were constant repairs going on. Very few wide spots. If a truck broke down and couldn’t be started, it got shoved over the side off the mountain cliff. Course the locals then would salvage what they could out of it. That road had to stay open. Luckily our drivers were quite competent. We put up at various, local small towns or anything that when night fell or we had to take a rest. I remember specifically one small place we stayed, just like a great big old bamboo hut with a thatched roof. They served us a little food thee and the only lighting we had was spirit lamps. We had wine, served with the meal which eventually we called Jingbao juice - air raid alarm juice. And when we turned down the wine and said it wasn’t very much to our taste, they said “no problem” and they poured it in the spirit lamp. It was enough alcohol to keep the spirit lamp burning. It was an experience, but it was interesting. Of course, we crossed that same Salween River gorge and at that time, it was one was traffic and only one vehicle at a time on the bridge. It would sag as you went across and drove on up. That was quite an experience. We pulled into Paoshan where there was a training base there. Five or six of our, eventually AVG pilots, were on duty there and training Chinese Air Force personnel. Pulled into Kunming with the convoy. Our supply personnel met the convoy and directed us to the supply dump where wanted it. I was assigned into the headquarters just again as a clerk to do whatever they wanted done. It was my first association with Harvey Greenlaw and with Olga who were there most of the time in the headquarters building Southwest Yunnan University. �FRANK BORING: Could we go back just briefly to the Paoshan training base? Do you remember who some of the pilots were that were training the Chinese? ED FOBES: I know every one of the names, would recognize them - the names, but I can’t off hand remember who they were. I was one of the few that went through there because I was on the road - it was right on the Burma Road. We overnighted there. FRANK BORING: What was the difference between the base at Toungoo and the base in Kunming? ED FOBES: Well, Kunming was a much larger base than the base we had at Toungoo. It had been utilized by the Chinese Air Force and by the Chinese Civil Aviation. As a result it was larger, better equipped, although not compared to one of our states bases and all. It was - it had bomb embankments which we had never seen before protecting the operations building and some of the other items. And we had dummy aircraft spotted around the field to shall we say, detract the enemy to make them think we had more aircraft than we had. We had a hostel I think it was called, at number 3 out at the airport. Otherwise it was just another flying field. FRANK BORING: What were the accommodations like at Kunming compared to Toungoo? ED FOBES: At Kunming, we had two types. We had some quite similar to Toungoo, a little more permanent structures - a little better, a little nicer out there at Hostel 3 near the Airport where one squadron was housed. The others or most of us were at Hostel 1 at Southwest University, Yunnan University. But we were fat cats because this was old university buildings and quite nice. I remember one night there at Kunming when one of our troopers, quite inebriated was driving a jeep up and down the halls of the dorm. So it had to be pretty nice to be able to drive a jeep up and down the halls. We had excellent food there - excellent mess hall. I �remember one specific incident so thank god I don’t eat tomatoes. But this evening they came with beautiful trays of beautiful rich, ripe red tomatoes and to say the troops dug into them would be the understatement of the year. About two hours later, there weren’t enough bathrooms in the whole administration there. I think washbasins, toilets, windows everything else was being utilized. There must have been forty or fifty of the people came down with very, very violent diarrhea. It was a mess believe me. FRANK BORING: After you arrived in Kunming, what would you say from your observation point, what was the relationship between the pilots, the ground crew and the staff? ED FOBES: In most instances, the relationship between the various echelons of our organization I felt was excellent. We had some incidents. Once in a while, Chennault was one of them. He directed one of our people - they had appointed him as a police officer more or less, and he told them to go out and shake down the rooms. Well, this was badly resented, deeply resented and justifiably. I believe it was Chennault directed it now, it might have been Greenlaw, I can’t state for sure who did it. But it caused a violent eruption. Half a dozen of the troops loaded up and came up there to headquarters and started beating the devil out of Mel Cedar was the fellow who had been appointed as a police officer. That caused a great confrontation and resulted in six dishonorable discharges because naturally Chennault would not put up with it. The only other violent incident that I can recall during that period - our famed black sheep squadron commander from the Marine Corps and a couple of his cohorts got quite inebriated one night and broke into our bar, the club room there at Hostel #1 and liquidated quite a quantity of alcoholic beverages. That again resulted in a couple of dishonorable discharges. Otherwise, any organization you’re going to have some minor friction, but overall I don’t think it was a except these two specific incidents I recall, any major problem. You have resentments, you have people being slighted anytime. �FRANK BORING: Why did Chennault ask them to shake down the quarters? ED FOBES: A shake down that was performed, I don’t know the rationale behind it. Whether it was contraband or someone wanted to show their authority or what, but I do know it was grossly, deeply resented and caused this bad friction and we lost some good people. Some excellent crew chiefs were involved in that and the loss hurt. FRANK BORING: Could you give us your impressions of some of the people you got to know during this time? For example this was the first time you got to know Olga. If you could comment on them and anybody else you might have met during this time. Also the phrase you use “Olga from the Volga.” ED FOBES: The people I had to work with - the staff there at Hostel # [?], Harvey Greenlaw, Colonel Greenlaw as he was called. He seemed alright. He was apparently an old China hand. Chennault had a lot of confidence in him. Whether he discriminated or such, I wasn’t affected. They tried to find something for his wife to do and get her on the payroll. Of course, this was Greenlaw and grease a little bit. So they decided she was going to try to run a newspaper or bulletin or something like that and put her on the payroll. Her nickname, as far as I can recall, was Olga from the Volga. She was allegedly a white Russian refugee that he met up in Shanghai or somewhere in the Far East. She was sort of opportunistic. She had several boyfriends. I didn’t personally witness much of it, but I did see a bit of it and there were two ways to get ahead. You could get on the good side of Olga which two or three of them did. They got promoted out of the enlisted status and pushed up a little bit. Or if you didn’t get along with Olga, you might end up getting booted out. One of our people, a fellow I worked with quite closely, Bill Wyke I believe was in that category. He and Olga didn’t get along and Bill got the word. Otherwise, not a heck of a lot I could say about them. Williams had been out there for years, a communications man, he’s and old China hand. He seemed very �confident. We had a little British, Australian - I can’t remember his name now - another old China hand worked with the group. Seemed to be very confident - got along with the troops, that was the main thing. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Fobes_Ed_1991-05-29_v03 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fobes, Edwin L. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-29 Title A name given to the resource Ed Fobes interview (video and transcript, 3 of 5), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed "Sarge" Fobes by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Fobes served as AVG Headquarters Clerk. He was stationed in Rangoon and Toungoo, Burma and Loiwing and Kunming, China. In this tape, Fobes describes his experience being transferred from Toungoo to Kunming and the differences between the bases and accomodations at those locations. He also discusses his observations of the relationship among the pilots, ground crew, and staff at Kunming. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c5c27b3e1d69090194c715311cb570ba.mp4 06770c41dfbff692440c3b1d560f4460 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8ba867d4bc3fbd6e6f12e34d68f3a809.pdf a54de71cabfde1b4e43c82e47f3195c8 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interviews Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edwin “Ed” Fobes Date of Interview: 05-29-1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 4] FRANK BORING: If you could give us your impressions of any incidents or particular things that stick out about the Chaplain, Paul Frillman? ED FOBES: Padre was a typical GI - you know preachers are all Padres or Holy Joes - was a fine man. He fit in with the group, he did everything and anything he could for any of the members. Counseling or personal or religion or whatever occurred. I was fairly close to him for a while, because he started teaching Chinese and I was interested in learning Chinese. This was at Toungoo. Unfortunately, other duties had to take precedence there and we had lessons for a week or two and whether then duties or just lack of interest came in I don’t know, but I did learn a few words of Chinese. I learned how to count from one to ten, which was an accomplishment. But Paul was very, very active. In fact, he was out of Chicago and being a Chicagoan myself, I had asked Paul if he would marry my wife and I and he said he’d be happy to if he was still in the area. But unfortunately, for me and for Paul on that, no criticism, my wife is Roman Catholic and of course, a wedding by Paul Frillman would not have satisfied the dictates of the Church, so it never was realized. I had not seen Paul or did not see him from the time we left China. FRANK BORING: What kind of relationship did you have with him during that period of time? What kind of interactions did you have? �ED FOBES: Just as anyone would have with the Chaplain. He was there for counseling if needed, he didn’t butt in or protrude in your own personal affairs unless you went to him. He was there to help. FRANK BORING: Can you comment at all on any of the supply problems? Problems in getting medical supplies. Were you involved in anything like that or did you observe any of this? ED FOBES: Medical supplies, we seem to have adequate. Doc Rich and Doc Gentry and our nurses did a wonderful job for us. Joe Stewart and Red Petach. We had two or three medical technicians took good care of us. That was up at Kunming of course. Aircraft supplies was a somewhat different situation because they were difficult to get and you had to get them up there. Although some were flown over the hump eventually. Most of the stuff, a lot of cannibalization went on. Course if an aircraft was wrecked or crashed in training or anything else, they cannibalized anything and everything to keep the other aircraft going. Attrition caught up with us eventually and the number of planes was greatly reduced through that and combat action both. I don’t think it crippled us but hurt the effort. FRANK BORING: Comment on the communication between the Chinese and the AVG. ED FOBES: Well, about the only thing I can think of as far as the Chinese Air Force was concerned and from my observation there was none. We were the Chinese Air Force. They had a couple of planes but they weren’t very active. Of course we were our own group, so that’s all I really knew. FRANK BORING: Did you know PR Chew [?] ED FOBES: I had met him, I didn’t know him intimately at all, Mr. Chew [?]. He was there with the group and worked with the group but my contact with him was negligible. �FRANK BORING: Did you have any contact at all with the Chinese? ED FOBES: The only real Chinese contact I had sorry to say was my room man. In hostel #1, there were English speaking, well-educated Chinese college students that were doing menial tasks helping us in the hostel, keeping up our rooms, doing various and sundry chores things like that and I got to know the boy that had our room. In fact, I’m very proud of a beautiful book he presented to me when I left China and he dedicated it, he said to his bosom friend, Ed Fobes. It was a history of rice and I have it right here with me. ED FOBES: I found the average Chinese, gracious, forbearing, extremely patient and down to earth good people. Like any group of people, large group of people you’ve got the good and the bad. But overall, I enjoyed them, I liked them and most that I had contact with, limited contact with, naturally, because I don’t speak Chinese and most of those that I encountered or saw didn’t speak English. They were very genial, very friendly. The only, couldn’t be considered a criticism, was during an air raid. They, like everybody else, trying to get the devil out of town. During evacuations, they would go right by our hostel heading out into the mountains and those trucks should have twenty people on had fifty or sixty of them and they slowed down for nothing. If someone fell off the back of the truck - and I seen it - the next truck just kept right on going. That was panic. FRANK BORING: Give us more of a description of these warning alerts and the actual witnessing of the bombing. ED FOBES: The last time Kunming was bombed, I believe I was still on the Burma Road, before any actual bombing took place. Subsequently, we had three or four active air raids, but our gang intercepted them before they got in or false alarms. Sometimes Johnny would be way up there at a high, high, high altitude observing and such as that - they had what they called the one ball and the two ball - �jingbao air raid. One ball it was reported and two they had been sighted and coming in and mass migration ensued. They used to fly the high, high, high got to be a nuisance, so they decided to do something about it. I believe it was a P 43 - of the old Chinese Air Force. Eric Shilling one of our pilots working with the armours, stripped it down just as much as it could and they knew about the average time of day this guy would show up and Eric was planning on getting up there at the same altitude to get him. I don’t know if it was successful or not, but I know they tried to get him. FRANK BORING: You didn’t witness the bombing in Kunming but could you give us an idea of what occurred when the jingbao's went up? What was your observation? ED FOBES: Well, I guess the only word I could really use is panic. Everyone tried to get out of the town. Get out of the outskirts, over the Mount Seashan [?], anywhere out in the fields away from the town which would naturally be target area. From what I’d seen from the ruins and such from around the town, the Japanese bombing was highly indiscriminate. They just dropped their bombs and if they hit this or that they hit the air field or government buildings or anything else and everyone was out to protect their skins and get out of there. FRANK BORING: Did you have any contact at all, perhaps in Rangoon, with the British? ED FOBES: I had no personal contact with them at all in Rangoon or at Toungoo. Later on at Kunming, some of the Anzac troops that were evacuated from Rangoon and came up through spent some time there. A couple of weeks or maybe as much as a month up there and I got to know a couple of them just you know, GI to GI nothing of a specific nature or value. FRANK BORING: Right around the period of time at Kunming, one squadron would leave, one squadron would come back. What kind of interaction �would you have with them? Were you aware of what was going on in the other parts of the AVG theatre if you will? ED FOBES: We were kept well informed, as to the operations of our various squadrons. The changing - down to Mingaladon or Rangoon the evacuation down there. I personally knew Mangleburg and Merritt, two of our pilots that were killed down there on the ground. They also came out of Hamilton and were in the BOQ when I was working there. Then they shifted the squadrons around working through Magwe and then moved a squadron into Loiwing. Here again, we were kept well updated as to what was going on and then subsequently they worked out of Hanyang and Kweilin and we at headquarters were fairly well cognizant of what was going on. Successes or problems is all. FRANK BORING: You knew that you were in a war and part of that is the danger of loss of life or limb or whatever. Were there any particular individuals that struck you personally when they got injured or killed? Your mentioned two of your friends. What was the effect in terms of your own reaction? ED FOBES: I guess the only thing I can say, on that reaction of our casualties. They were friends, they were acquaintances but as you say there was a war on and these things are to be expected. The one that hit me the most I guess, was when Johnny Blackburn was killed, because I was so close to him coming up the Burma Road, he was one of the two pilots in charge of our convoy and I like John he was a fine, fine, fine young man and his loss hit me more, and Scarsdale Jack who had been my squadron commander initially. I had a respect for all our pilots, don’t get me wrong, but I was closer to these, I knew them better and I felt it. Not that I went into great tears or anything, but just sympathy and the knowledge of the loss of a friend. FRANK BORING: There was, as time went on a certain change in the initial morale because there was not enough equipment, there was so many �Japanese to fight. There was a real shift in the morale. Did you notice that as each squadron came in and out, what was the kind of reaction from the troops as you put it? ED FOBES: Really the only thing I noted of any morale factor, might be a tiredness. The pilots were on alert practically all the time. They’d get back from one mission or one interception and get on the ground have a chance to maybe get a cup of coffee or a drink and another alarm would come up and I think that they got pretty well burned out. As far as the crew chiefs such as that, well they were on the ground. They were subject to strafing or bombing or anything else. We lost one crewman Johnny Fauth, down at Magwe, Burma - was the only enlisted casualty we had. Otherwise just the wear and tear, the tension, the stress and that started to tell on the pilots, justifiably. FRANK BORING: Did you ever experience an air raid yourself? ED FOBES: Not under any bombing or anything else. FRANK BORING: When did you first hear that the rumor started that AVG was getting phased out and was going to be incorporated into the military? Do you recall when you first heard that and what was your first reaction to the rumors? ED FOBES: Well, we were under as I recall, a one year contract. And this one year contract was to terminate on the fourth of July of 1942. So whether the group would be continued or not was questionable and there had been a second AVG planned. In fact some of the recruiting had started for it that was cancelled out. We heard then that the army air corps was going to take over. The, I guess general acceptance that the inevitable was going to happen. The group could not continue as such with our, shall we say, more relaxed attitude and without a lot of the spit and polish. We’d been briefed that some of us would be offered to stay. They would talk to all of us and make offers to stay. There was a great deal of resentment, I �think with General Bissell came on out representing the army air corps and he was sort of an unmitigated snob. If you weren’t going to do what he wanted and the army air corps wanted, we want no part of you. We’ll have the draft board meet you when you get off the plane or ship when you get back to the states and they’ll take pilots or anything else and you’ll all be drafted in as privates. And this went over like a lead balloon. These guys had fought, they’d worked, they had a lot of pride in what they had accomplished and to be treated like that was a dirty slap in the face. It was greatly resented both by the pilots and a lot of the NCO’s the enlisted men. FRANK BORING: What was your own personal plan at this time? Did you plan to stay on or did you plan on going back to the states? What was your personal reaction to Bissell? ED FOBES: My personal reaction, I didn’t want any part of him or the army air corps in China. My number one priority was to get home and get married. I was looking forward to getting back to the states, getting married and then getting back into the service. Which I did. FRANK BORING: Were you at the meeting where Bissell addressed the AVG? ED FOBES: I was at one meeting where he did address the troops and I don’t think he gave the gang any credit for what they’d accomplished. Thinking back and reading the clippings that my mother in law kept and everything, the only success the US was having and they took great pride in it, the AVG. It was a morale factor I think, for the civilian [?] in the states. At least here is someone, some American doing something right and winning. The attitude Bissell had completely negated that to the detriment of everything. Also, we had understood that when we returned to the armed forces, we’d get credit for our China time. We never received it. Whether that was part of his doings or not, I have no idea, but again, a lot of us lost a year or more that we thought we should have got credit for. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Fobes_Ed_1991-05-29_v04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fobes, Edwin L. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-29 Title A name given to the resource Ed Fobes interview (video and transcript, 4 of 5), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed "Sarge" Fobes by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Fobes served as AVG Headquarters Clerk. He was stationed in Rangoon and Toungoo, Burma and Loiwing and Kunming, China. In this tape, Fobes discusses his impression of Chaplain Paul Frillman and the Chinese people while serving with the AVG. He also goes into detail about the state of panic during the bombing of Kunming, the loss of friends and acquaintances, and his plans after their one-year contract expired. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/67fb2e8a68ba25066ead59372af15eea.mp4 2c7b66567c5a74082f65370b2297a894 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/72fdc833e04442bc3316ef0682a0f3ff.pdf 07faffd0e6e68222ea982c63bc2558df PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interviews Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edwin “Ed” Fobes Date of Interview: 05-29-1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 5] FRANK BORING: If you could give us, from your perspective a view. You knew that the contract was ending, you knew that these guys were coming in, what was your impression of these guys coming in? What was their attitude like? What was the attitude toward the AVG? What was AVG’s attitude toward them? What was your personal recollection? ED FOBES: A few US army air corps personnel started coming in in June of 42. Flying over the bumps, mainly in gooney birds, C-47’s. They all seemed to be gung ho when they came out. They were more or less interested in what we had done. I’m using “we” in the sense of the Tigers, the group, not my individual efforts at all. They welcomed the assignment. They were hopeful of learning from our people if they got a little chance to work with. I was not directly working with any of them, but I talked to a few of them. I didn’t meet any of the pilots. There was just the ground crew that I met and talked to and they were just like any other service man. They were out there - there was a war on and a job to do and they were going to do the best they could. FRANK BORING: Did you have any contact or did you have any opinion about Stillwell? ED FOBES: A recollection. I didn’t have much concern or exposure to Stillwell or what he was trying to accomplish or if there was any conflict �there. I knew rumored at least that he and Gen. Chennault did not see eye to eye on many things. Subsequently I learned quite a bit more about Vinegar Joe when I was back out in the Far East again and I had a lot of respect for him. But you had a very strong personality in Chennault. Sincerely dedicated to his ideas, his tactics and that, and anyone that didn’t go along with him that didn’t believe in him or have the full confidence in him, he resented I believe. And Stilwell was a pretty strong character on his own and neither one of them was going to give in much to the others concepts or principles. Both were competent, both were outstanding in their own way, but different theories. FRANK BORING: Did you have any contact with or can you give us your impressions of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Chiang Kai-shek ED FOBES: I had the honor of attending a banquet. Exact time I don’t recall. Put on by the Generalissimo and Madame there at hostel number 1, the university. They were wonderful people as far as we could see. Course the Gimo did not speak English so he wasn’t able to do much except smile and greet us noddingly. Madame, of course, was one of the most fabulous women who had ever lived. Spoke beautiful, fluent English. Extremely gracious, couldn’t have wanted a nicer, greater lady. They presented to each of us a silk scarf, which silk scarf was a Chop. The signature Chop of the Generalissimo - it was a gift, a memento from China. She was wonderful and they were dedicated. They were great people. She was a great advocate of the new life movement, I believe they called it in those days, education and all for the Chinese. She did everything she could for us. I think Gen. Chennault and our group were her babies in many ways and she was extremely proud of the group. FRANK BORING: She, during that banquet, made a little speech to all of you, in which she referred to as her little angels or fallen angels. Do you recall that at all? �ED FOBES: I remember the speech. I do not recall if she called us her fallen angels or her guardian angels or if she called us angels, but it was meant, I believe in all sincerity indicative of her appreciation of what the gang had accomplished and was continuing to accomplish. And yet I think there was a little tongue in cheek too when she used the term angels, because let’s face it, the gang were not all angels. Far from it. Many of us were semi outlaws you might say. We wanted to get away from what we were doing in the past and this was a challenge a way to get away from dull routines or problems that we didn’t want to have and when there was liquor around it was slopped up and there was quite a bit of hell raising around if and when the opportunity arose. FRANK BORING: What feelings do you have about the last days? There was an offer Chennault made of staying on for two weeks. There was a promise of being able to get back to the US. Could you give us your observation of what happened to you personally in terms of your leaving the AVG? ED FOBES: When the group was getting ready to disband and the 1423rd fighter group to take over, I believe, I was not interested in remaining and I had so stated. As a result, I was just getting ready to come home and get married as I said. So my whole planning was how do I get home? I had purchased a ticket for the morning of July 4th to fly from Kunming over to Dinjan in India us in the [?] Valley. And from there on it was, hitch hike, ferry command, CNAC anything at all to get back to the states. I did get out of Dinjan and got into Karachi. I think it was at Karachi when we stopped at New Delhi overnight and then on into Karachi. We were there two or three nights and I luckily got on one of the flights going back to the states. We stopped at Masarai [?] Island in Arabia. From there our next stop was Khartoum and Anglo Egyptian Sudan. From there we went into a craw on the Gold Coast. From there up into Fisherman’s lake, Liberia where we spent the night at the old Firestone Rubber Plantation. We then flew across on the old China clipper Philippine Clipper ships to �Natal, Brazil and then up to Belem, Brazil, from there up to Georgetown, British Guyana. And then [?] way, Cuba. Finally into Miami. It was an experience. It was ferry command most of the way. Again, gooney birds most of the time. Our food was questionable, there wasn’t much available. But, we made out. No complaints. And we were fortunate that Pan Am Ferry commander, they want to call them, had us all going back to the states for job interviews. This was we travelled on the house. It was certainly appreciated, because a lot of us didn’t have any money to pay for what it would have cost us. We might have still been on the boat a slow boat to China - going back. FRANK BORING: What was your personal reaction to - because when you first signed up they said that you would have - you would be given passage back to the US at the end of your contract. Could you comment on your personal reaction realization that they weren’t going to give you that? ED FOBES: The contract did stipulate such, but you have to remember that the contract we had was written during peace time and our return to the states was war time and the situation was greatly altered. I mean I imagine I resented the fact. I don’t specifically recall now. Sort of shrug your shoulders, well this is what happens, what can you do about it. You accept it. FRANK BORING: Where do you think this group that’s called the AVG - the Flying Tigers, looking back on it now, where do you think they fit in terms of the Chinese and the Americans? In terms of their history? ED FOBES: As the AVG was the brainchild of the Generalissimo and Madame in conjunction with Chennault and the important role Generalissimo and Madame played in Chinese history, I think it’s a significant factor. I hope it always remains as such, even though there is a different regime in now and it is no longer the Kuomintang or anything else in China, I think the memory lingers on. And I do feel sure or confident that the average Chinese of our �era, respects, remember and honors the work the group did, deservedly so and as important a role as anyone in the group played, or as insignificant a role as I played in the group, we were all honored to be with it and to still be remembered. And it’s one of my most proud possessions and memories. That I was a Tiger and I resent the word gold - all these ex air force people - oh I was a Flying Tiger, I see it all the time, I read it in the obituaries, I hear it here and there and doggone it, if you don’t have to hang your palm on somebody else’s. FRANK BORING: When you got back to the states, and actually even in China, you heard a little bit about being called Flying Tigers, you were always known as AVG. What impression did it have to you personally to be called in the newspapers and everything a Flying Tiger? ED FOBES: I thought it was highly descriptive. I thought it was a good term because it was significant. And our group had taken over and adapted or adopted the Tiger insignia that the British had used in North Africa. Disney had designed a Flying Tiger decal and we had it on the planes. I had stolen one of the decals and put it on a suitcase that I had a couple of the guys camouflage, painted. And we had the pin, the flying tiger pin, I still have mine. I proudly wear it. It was sort of a special recognition and I think we’re all proud of the name and we’re very proud of the boys in Germany and in the states now in the helicopter squadrons, battalions, I guess now, that have adopted our name with our permission and they certainly carried on in the recent hostilities in the mid-East and perpetuated the traditions. They did a wonderful job. ED FOBES: During the operation of the AVG in China, I think the group played a very important morale role, not only for the US to have someone doing something and winning and not getting beat. It showed China that the Japs could be beat. I think it was a morale factor for them also, not only that, but the actions of the group, the shooting down of the Japanese aircraft eliminated some of the hardships, eliminated some of the bombing and the pressure that �the people of Kunming...You have to remember that Kunming was way in the interior. It was one of the most backward provinces in China. Yet they had taken a beating in the past and anything that would enhance their morale or to help them or protect them was certainly a worthwhile contribution. FRANK BORING: Looking back now, from the perspective of your life, you’ve done a number of things in your life, you married the woman you set out to marry. You had a full life. What I’d like you to do is look back at that one year, and if you could tell me, what was it about your accomplishment. What do you feel proud about? What was it about that one year that perhaps affected the rest of your life? ED FOBES: What did the year show me, what did that year teach me in China. It’s hard to evaluate really. I was there, I was a member of the group. I did what I could, I did what I was called upon to do. I do not begrudge a day of it. I think I matured a little bit more during that time. Anyone would have. As to after effects and such as that, I enjoyed the reputation of being a Flying Tiger. Having been a Flying Tiger, I’m still a Tiger. I believe that we did a lot of good. I don’t believe I ever received any great benefits in the long run from that time, because my military career resumed soon after that and I went up the enlisted ranks. Went to the Infantry School at Ft. Benning and was commissioned. The war ended, I put my stripes back on and finally retired in 1966. But it was an experience, one that I’m proud of and that’s about all I can say. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Fobes_Ed_1991-05-29_v05 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Fobes, Edwin L. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-29 Title A name given to the resource Ed Fobes interview (video and transcript, 5 of 5), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed "Sarge" Fobes by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Fobes served as AVG Headquarters Clerk. He was stationed in Rangoon and Toungoo, Burma and Loiwing and Kunming, China. In this tape, Fobes discusses his views at the time when the initial AVG contract was ending and the new US Army Air Corps personnel arrived. He also describes his feelings about the last days of the AVG, his return to the United States, and his sense of accomplishment for being a part of history as a Flying Tiger. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/42c1cb983e072ae4f3c47f107dccfe07.mp4 e0ffa93b382df0c50485c5ba3e541c51 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/17e2f1ba58680a27a30110d54549e7ce.pdf 645d2640da1564645dd09951927bd204 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 1] FRANK BORING: To begin with Ed, what were you doing prior to joining the military? ED RECTOR: I was attending college, prior to joining the Navy at that time, I was in school and I had tried to join the Army Air Corps prior to that, which required 3 years of college and having failed that physical, I went on and got 4 years and a degree, which was required for flight training - Navy flight training and so I went right from college with an interim summer job, right into flight training at Pensacola in August of 1940. FRANK BORING: What made you want to get involved with airplanes to begin with? ED RECTOR: I was interested in flying from the day I was 12 years old and I had an older brother who was in the Marine Corps and he was home on leave and he said "young fella, the thing for you to pay attention to and inquire about is aviation, it's the coming thing." So I started thinking about it and reading about it and became obsessed with the idea of becoming a flyer - an aviator. To the extent that I used all of my money, what little there was, in buying the Battle Aces the pulp magazines. I had a corner filled with these pulp magazines and I knew all the airdromes, the type aircraft, the Aces of World War I, and by the time I was 17 I knew what my future would be, �or what I hoped it would be and everything in the interim was directed toward that. FRANK BORING: What were you doing before you heard about the opportunity in China? ED RECTOR: When I was selected for flight training, I went to Pensacola, I graduated and I was one amongst the first two classes, 129C that specialized. Prior to that there was a 17 month course and over 410 hours of instruction, but with my class of 129C and the earlier class of 128C, two weeks before, we started specializing and I lucked out and went to carrier duty instead of the big boats, the Pboats and Seaplanes. So I graduated, I was assigned to Bombing 4 of the Ranger Air Group in Norfolk Naval Air Station and I operated with Bombing 4, that was later designated Scouting 41, but in that interim we were doing exercises down in the Caribbean, landing exercises and fleet exercises. And it was at that time, 1940 during the Christmas holidays, that we were back for - in port 2 or 3 weeks until we went back to maneuvering and for operations at sea, and it was during that time that we were approached by a Navy Reserve Commander and were told that there was an organization being recruited to go over and help the Chinese defend the Burma Road. Well Tex Hill had joined my squadron at that time and we were very interested. We listened to his pitch and we presumed that there was nothing to it, this was a pipe dream and we went back to sea and he said I'll see you again when you come in in March. So Tex and I went down in March to his hotel room in downtown Norfolk and heard their pitch and signed up our intent to join, that we were very interested. He said I'll see you again the tail end of June and at that time you will be ready to be released. And we still didn't believe that this was going to happen and we came back and sure enough, the Navy tried to intercede because by this time we were doing neutrality patrol in the Atlantic, scouting out - flying 15 hours a day out on the starboard bow and the port bow out 150 miles and back. And we were naive enough to not know what the hell we were doing in terms of out �there looking for surface ships and there was radio silence, and then we'd fly back if we saw a surface ship and drop a message on the deck of the carrier and it finally came to us that we were looking for German surface raiders. So back to the point that we were being released, the Navy hierarchy, the Commander knew that things were brewing and they reluctantly let us go. But they had to and that's what I was doing up until final release by the Navy to join the American Volunteer Group. FRANK BORING: What did you know about China in this point in time? ED RECTOR: The proposal to go over and defend the Burma Road hit home with me. Since I was 17 years old, I had read everything that Kipling had ever written twice over and that fabled land, I knew that I would never see it, but it was a place that I wanted to see. And here I am being offered a fabulous salary - by salary terms of that era to go and see that fabled Kipling land and get paid for it. So it was Godsend. FRANK BORING: What did you know about Japan? What were your opinions about Japan at this time? ED RECTOR: As to the enemy, Japan, that we would be facing, I knew that they had been an aggressor nation, that I was well aware of their taking over of Manchuria, I was well aware of their aggression against China, I saw the pictures, as did everyone, of the rape of Nanking. I was very aware of their bombing of Panay on the Yangtze River. I knew they were the enemy and that they were quite ruthless and I was also impressed by the fact that they are tough, dedicated fighters and that they would be a very formidable enemy. That was my impression of the Japanese prior to and during the war, because they were a formidable foe. FRANK BORING: You mentioned that Tex Hill, both of you were considering and wanted to get involved in this. What kind of discussion did you have about what to expect there? Of course Tex's background was �Korea. Can you recall and explain to us that sense of excitement of these two friends talking about going off on this new adventure? ED RECTOR: When this offer was made to us by the Reserve Navy Commander to join this organization that Tex and I of course discussed it amongst ourselves and we talked about what a challenge it would be and we discussed and wondered what the unknowns were. We also thought about the aerial competition, yet both of us were absolutely dedicated to being a part of this because it was the opportunity of a lifetime and we said if it comes about - because we didn't know right up until the very last when we were released we didn't think that it would happen and I was one of those naive people who presumed that the U.S. would never go to war and this was an opportunity because I'd gotten an E in dive bombing accuracy and I'd gotten an E in aerial gunnery in the Navy. Truth to tell, this is an opportunity to smell a little cordite that I would not get, presuming we would never go to war. So in that regard, Tex and I looked forward to it, but with the full realization that it wasn't going to be a piece of cake. But we were eager and anxious to give it a go. FRANK BORING: You touched on earlier some of the difficulties in getting out. I wonder if you could give us in more detail - describe the events that occurred when you signed up and what things - was there any kind of difficulty in getting out of the military to get into the AVG? ED RECTOR: When we got back in June and we had been told by the Commander that we would be released, again we didn't believe it and we knew it only when we were released. Eventually I went down to the carrier that night, when it went back to sea, to say goodbye to our squadron mates, but prior to that, our Squadron Commander, when he found out that we were going, he went to the Air Group Commander and the Air Group Commander went to the Skipper of the - by this time it's the old Yorktown - we'd been transferred from the Ranger to the Yorktown - and he, in turn, went �to ComAirlant - that's Commander Aircraft Atlantic Fleet and he got in his little SOC, that is a sea plane that is used for scouting cruisers and battle ships, he got in his little SOC from Norfolk and he flew up and landed in the Anacostia River next to Anacostia Naval Air Station - and remember he's a Rear Admiral - Vice Admiral, and he went in to headquarters of the Chief of Naval Operation's office and he came back and reported this: He said "I sat at the elbow or rather across the desk from the C&O and he called the White House and the White House said 'let those boys go. You've got to release those people per the procedures that have taken place'". He got in his SOC, flew back and we got the word that night from our Skipper, scouting 41, that - and he is the one that related this story that I have just told you - that he came back and he said "you've got to let those fellows go." FRANK BORING: What was told to you about the purpose of your being released and going to join this group? ED RECOTR: When we were being recruited, we asked a bit more detail in terms of what our true mission would be and what it entailed and precisely some of the actions that would take place. We were told that our sole responsibility would be to protect the Burma Road, which was China's sole source of supplies. Because the Japanese had occupied all the port cities and this was the only supply route available to the Chinese and our task would be to provide the security for the land transport of supplies that off loaded in Rangoon and came in the back door, as you were, to continue to supply the Chinese. FRANK BORING: What were the terms of the agreement? What were your responsibilities? What were their responsibilities? ED RECOTR: The precise terms of our contract that we signed involved, first of all, transportation over, insurance, a base pay for pilots of $600.00 a month - this was at a time when an Ensign was making $233.00 a month plus $93.00 flight pay - so that was one of the attractions in �addition to seeing the Kipling land that I referred to that drew our enthusiastic participation and beyond that there was an insurance policy that was paid for. There was TDY considerations in terms of travel, per diem pay that was also rather generous and then $500.00 for every victory or every Japanese plane destroyed. Those were the basic considerations in terms of the finality of the contract that we signed. FRANK BORING: What was your understanding as to the completion of the contract? What was their responsibility upon completion of the one year? ED RECTOR: Continuing with the provisions of their contract, after one year if we chose to return to the States, our return fare was provided for and there would be a termination then upon arrival back in the States, and if we chose to stay on, there were other considerations that I don't recall at the moment. But the basic consideration was that it was a one year contract with the provisions that I have just mentioned and there were additional considerations if you signed over for a second year. All of this presuming, of course, that the U.S. would not be involved in the war. FRANK BORING When you sat down and actually asked a lot of the questions and got some of the details of being paid you were told that you were going to be fighting to protect the Burma Road, did you consider yourself at this point, a mercenary? ED RECTOR: The thought occurred to us as to how we would be viewed by history assuming there would be some action and we did not think of ourselves as mercenaries. We were a defensive mechanism hired by the Chinese as fighter pilots to provide the security for the Burma Road. As a matter of fact, mercenary was not known at that time and we've later been referred to as mercenaries and that might or might not be true because the aspect, the aura of what we did changed once our nation was at war and that put a totally different light on it. �FRANK BORING: At that particular point in your life and with Tex's, but I really want your opinion, what was going through your mind in terms of the realization that you were resigning from your own government's Navy and joining a foreign government? ED RECTOR: On making our final decision you recall that I said that we looked forward to this, not blindly, but with anticipation, fully recognizing that we were going to be shooting and defending and this would be to the benefit of an ally, if you will, and we would be contributing toward their livelihood and existence, in essence, and that there was no regrets or consideration in terms of leaving the U.S. service, because to iterate, I thought the U.S. in my naiveté would never go to war and this was our chance to do something, fully recognizing that it wouldn't be a piece of cake, but there were no qualms in terms of what we were doing. FRANK BORING: Once the contract had been signed, did you assemble in San Francisco or Los Angeles? ED RECTOR: When the signing of the contract was completed and we had seen our squadron off going back to sea, we had instructions to meet and gather in San Francisco to proceed with the organization that was sponsoring us, that was CAMCO - Chinese Aircraft Manufacturing Company - and we had instructions and I was allowed to go home to Marshall, North Carolina and visit with my parents and then in that little town of Marshall, I caught the train and rode the train all the way to San Francisco. It was a delightful trip. I happen to be a train buff and I'm sure that that trip was what converted me. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v01 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 1 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector discusses what he was doing prior to joining the military and being recruited by the American Volunteer Group with Tex Hill. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b19a2d502444b70375f6e638b69c3047.mp4 4019e7ce698fa0d4b9b4938baac45457 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/704de7f0092c325a5002277706bdf101.pdf 0e38d9d69b4516e53c7f8ee5fdeb33bd PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 10] ED RECTOR: We were sending out patrols to find out where the Japanese were in Burma and how far they had advanced and on one of these patrols of four planes, I happened to have detected them approaching the top rim of the Salween River Gorge, leading up to the defoliated position where the road winds back and forth down to the bottom of the gorge, the bridge is there, and again winds up the far side of the gorge to the plateau beyond. I caught the advance columns, the scouting columns of the Japanese on that high ground on the west side, the Burma side and we raked them real good and then we came back and reported that and subsequent to that, the old man launched successive attacks against the column and by this time the Japanese had moved in and had gone down to the very edge of the water, presumably, and that's where our boys who were so successful with bombing and strafing up and down the gorge, in terms of stopping the Japanese and holding them there until the Chinese got the last of their troops out of Burma - or rather into China and across the Salween and then blew the bridge. FRANK BORING: What were your missions like after that? ED RECTOR: Following the Salween operation, we operated east from Kunming. We were deployed to a number of bases including Chungking, at a base called …it was about 40 miles outside of Kunming. The �Chinese had prepared very excellent airfields for us at Liuchow, Kweilin and Hengyang and subsequently Ling Ling and that's in the Seong [?] Valley. So we operated there regularly and we did operations north of Hengyang, which was the easternmost of the bases that we utilized at the time and we would go forward and attack the shipping - I recall one instance where Harry Bolster, myself and two other fellows - we caught a small Japanese gunboat on the Yangtze River and we sank it, we strafed the hell out of it and it and we left it and it was later observed - oh the Chinese reported that - through to Chennault, and he was the one who told me that we had put it on the bottom. In addition to that, by this time remember it's June and more Army Air Corps troops are appearing in the theater. Recall that I told you that the 51st Fighter Group was virtually in China by this time intact. Also the 11th Bomb Squadron was activated and in that 11th Bomb Squadron you'd be interested to know, there were two - I'm sorry, three good little Tokyo bomber crews - B-25 crews and this was the 11th Bomb Squadron of course was equipped with B-25's and we were operating with them and escorting them on missions. They were from Hengyang, they were given the mission to bomb Hankow well that is the heart of the Japanese offensive and I thought it was a pretty good mission and I had six airplanes to escort their B-25's and if I might draw backward for you what happened, Hankow is here and the loop of the Yangtze River is like this - it comes out of the mountains, the Himalayas, comes up like this and here is Hankow. It loops around like this in a beautiful big bow and then comes on down here and turns east and goes out to the Pacific. Okay, we are down here, remember the bow that I explained, and Hengyang 300 miles away and we took off from there heading for an 800 mile round trip. We were escorting and we were heading to Hankow and look immediately and the leader and the navigator are about 50 miles off course, they're not heading for Hankow, they're going - remember the bow - they're going right up the center of it and Hankow is over here. We should have gone like this. So I drew up alongside and I rocked my wings and we're going up this way and I pointed hey it's over there - to you that way - and he nods his �head - he's a Major and on we plod. I go up and rock my wings again and I'm screaming like this with my fist, we're hand talking, or I am, I'm hand cursing and he wouldn't turn and I just shook my head like this. Okay we go straight up to the head of that curve, that bow, hit it right here and then they realized they were wrong and they turned west and I said oh here we go and around… (break) FRANK BORING: If you would start by saying they were headed straight for the bow and then realized their mistake. ED RECTOR: I got in the normal - with my flight of four - I got in the normal position for escort, forward or abeam and 500 to 1000 feet ahead because I thought the Japs might intercept us, but hoping for a degree of surprise. We headed north and we got so far in that I said something is wrong because they're not heading toward Hankow, they're heading right to the top of the bow, that broad, big expanse of the Yangtze that goes like that, we were going up the center of it and I go alongside and rock my wings and point over to Hankow and the guy looks and he's a Major, by the way. The leader of the formation, the Major of the five planes continued straight ahead until he hit the Yangtze then realized his mistake and he turned left and followed the Yangtze around until the bend that headed where the river was flowing north - and there after he turned south he saw Hankow - to him - and then I said Oh my God! as I saw their bomb bays opening and they went by at 7000 feet or 8000 feet and they demolished that fishing village that they had mistaken for Hankow and I am screaming to myself but I'm keeping control because I know where Hankow is and with this mucking around, they probably know that we're approaching. Well they stuck the nose down and we went out of there at 300 miles an hour and down we went. Remember the sun is setting in the west behind Hankow and we went by there at near 300 miles an hour and I'm tucked in close with my two fighters, my two elements to be close enough to be of any help. If you want to know one of the �disappointments of war - we went by Hankow, we were within 3 miles of the airfield, we went right by the docks they were supposed to be bombing, looked over at the airfield and there are over 100 - close to 200 aircraft, wing tip to wing tip, the sun glistening off their wings and on we went back to Hengyang. What a mucked up mission and I was wary thereafter of bombardiers trying to lead formations. FRANK BORING: You had mentioned earlier that there was… as these people started to come in. ED RECTOR: We started getting replacement pilots when we knew that the AVG was being disbanded. They started trickling in and while we were still AVG they started flying with us. We started putting them right on missions and orienting them and getting them prepared for the successor organization that would supplant them, the 23rd Fighter Group. So they were under AVG control, just like they were a member of the AVG, but they were Army Air Corps. That proceeded smoothly. It was just a continuing thing and it proceeded without any difficulty at all. I know that when Tex came out to - he'd been on a ferry trip to India, when he came out to Hengyang where I'd been holding fort with the Second Squadron, he said "the old man asked me to talk to you - he told me, would you go out and talk to Eddie. He said if everybody goes home, I'm gonna have all these new pilots in here who don't know the terrain and we'll have to just pull back to Kunming and stand down and learn all over again. He said some of you've got to stay." And he said "Would you go out and talk to Eddie, see if he'll stay?" Tex comes out from his trip down to Calcutta and to India and repeated this to me. And I said "Tex, I want to go home" and he said "So do I, but the old man asked me to ask you" and I said "of course you're staying?" and he said "Yeah" and I said "Okay". So that was when I made the decision to stay on and become part of the Army Air Corps. Subsequent to that, there's another interesting story. The day that the AVG was moving out - remember we stayed on two extra weeks at the General's behest - and I was taking - had already �been made Command of the 76th Fighter Squadron, Tex the 75th, and Frank Schiel's the 74th. I had the 76th at Kweilin and Frank Scheil with the 74th back at Kunming and Tex had the 75th up at Hengyang. Recall that this is the first time in any war, before or since that I know of, where a fighter group has been activated on a fighting front. We got our orders and commands and the AVG went home the next day and we went fighting and continued fighting. Now remember, I'm Navy. So that night the Seaport Six came in with all the new pilots and the ground crew - it was a 21 passenger C-47 and they all reported to me and I said "well doesn't Tex get anybody?" he was up there all alone. And they said "No, we were all told to report here." So I said "Armorers line up here, mechanics line up there, radio operators there." I split them down the middle and I put half of them on the plane and I said "you are now assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron" for which Tex is forever grateful. I sent them to Hengyang and otherwise he'd have been flat on the ground because he'd had pilots, but that was all. So I kept the others. Then there's a marvelous man who lives here and a very dear friend of Tex's and mine and all of the AVG, who was there early, Johnny Allison. He was there for the transition. FRANK BORING: Okay we'll talk about him after - we have talked to him ourselves. ED RECTOR: That night, remember I'm in Hengyang, I cornered Johnny Allison by this time a Major with his own background in the Army Air Corps and I said "Johnny, I don't care about the Japs, I can handle the Japs, but here I am Navy and I don't know one thing about Army Air Corps organization or what is required of me and that's the only thing that worries me. Could you give me some sort of help or guidance?" He said "Eddie, you have nothing to worry about. You've got an Adjutant and a First Sergeant that are back at Kunming where the administrative headquarters are, you've got your personnel here. Don't you worry about those Army Air Corps regulations, you just continue what you've been doing and everything will be all right." The next morning the C-47 comes back and lands from Hengyang, they overnighted up there again �with the Hengyang crew. My boys got aboard and I can recall them now "Bye sucker". Incidentally, I took these new sports - I kept them up until midnight, telling them what to expect tomorrow. Because if they'd be up in their first fight - and I spent two hours telling them what to expect and I got the goodbye sucker bit from my AVG buddies who were going home. And before 11 o'clock the next morning, we were up in our first fight and everything went swimmingly and my fears were for naught, because I did have good people. FRANK BORING: A final couple of questions… but let's begin back down when you first started hearing about the stories being told and that you were being known and then Time Magazine coming out. ED RECTOR: Early on, with our early successes, we began to get stories from the press and also by radio that word of the successes that we had and were having was public knowledge, not only back in the States, but it certainly was in China. The backwoods of China were sort of supposedly primitive, but rest assured, the word got around. They had radios, they had newspapers and the word traveled pretty well. Then we began to get reports that our successes were noted, not only in the States, but worldwide. So by the time we left Rangoon and Life Magazine was there with the photographer and a reporter, and subsequent to that our - I was going to say notoriety - but our feats became well known. That was through the time that we before we were disbanded by Presidential decree in July 1942. To bring that forward in terms of - again the notoriety that we got, this is 50 years. This is our 50th anniversary coming up, which we are celebrating in a gala fashion in San Diego on the 4th of July and I've been asked about this because there has been increasing interest in the American Volunteer Group, the Flying Tigers, literally for the last five years. There wasn't a lot of interest after that except for special groups. But now there's an increased interest by almost everybody. I get calls every week to make speeches or to autograph a picture or to submit copy or something like that, as do the rest of the surviving members of the Flying Tigers. There is �one unique thing that I say in my talks, particularly in the last 2-1/2 months. I said remember that we were recruited in the first place to help a friend resist an aggressor, the Japanese. And I said the only difference between that and Desert Storm is in terms of, first of all the quality and above all the quantity. But again, Desert Storm represents the U.S. going to the defense of a weaker neighbor of the aggressor. I said that was true in China, the reason for the AVG. FRANK BORING: In terms of your own life, you've accomplished a number of things after… ED RECTOR: Looking back on that year of the AVG, I would say without question, it was the most significant year of my life. It afforded the opportunity to, first of all, prove to myself that I could do the things that I had dreamt of doing. Secondly, it gave me - after that being - going through that proving process, I was competent beyond compare, I had lived to become and fly - a military pilot and to fly military aircraft, I was automatically tendered a regular commission at the end of the war and spent 20 years in the Air Force with the year in the Navy. So it was a very - it could not have been a more fortuitous time because never before nor since, was there the opportunity to do what we did in that fleeting literally - moment in time, to operate in the free-flown fashion that we did for a marvelous, magical year, and to have accomplished what we did. So it was - having gone through that - I'll call it a crucible - there wasn't anything I couldn't do after that. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v10 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 10 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector discusses making the decision to stay on with the Army Air Corps as the AVG disbanded and how the year of the AVG was the most significant year of his life. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/40dc65282e69cd5eaef469ff09a0f5c0.mp4 5bb2ab05b17cd2d81e31177c0968f4e9 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/09610d83837e9c8c89ac399c021d532e.pdf 6ac44bcbec826e69e8688e24bfb8e38b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 11] ED RECTOR: In reviewing the one year fighting existence of the American Volunteer Group, the Flying Tigers, one might say that its greatest impact was on the Chinese. Recall that they were beaten, they had no capability themselves in terms of area, it was totally gone and in that one short year, we restored the confidence of the Chinese, they were standing tall and so appreciative and rest assured that every success we had spread throughout China. The Chinese knew about it. We couldn't go anywhere without being just lauded for what we had accomplished. For the U.S. and the rest of the world, really for again a fleeting year, we were the only ones of the allies, the only outfit that was having any success with a total of 294 airplanes destroyed in six months, was quite a feat. Those were the effects in terms of the Chinese, the U.S. and the world, but from a personal standpoint, it was fruitful for all of us. It was for me I know because having gone through that one year crucible, short though it was, I emerged confident and I was looking for - I had made enough of a record that I knew this would stand me in good stead, looking toward the end of the war, which I knew we would win, a regular commission in the Army Air Corps, by this time - the Army Air Force. And in addition to that crucible, that one year, my competence was raised fourfold and I knew that there wasn't a challenge thereafter that I couldn't face with confidence and with knowledge that I'd succeed. Certainly I would not fear it. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v11 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 11 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector reflects on the existence of the Flying Tigers and the impact the group had on the Chinese people in addition to his own life. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0bb74d5e5ec99662127d72825f0598c3.mp4 c69ee52acebd32d05748063e07597260 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a0458ee82e7731451a81b6ea8bd27100.pdf 9a6e0e52c2ae0902409bf0356f501e8a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 2] FRANK BORING: If you could please relate to us your arrival home, the discussion you had with your family and then actually the train trip. ED RECOTR: On saying goodbye to our squadron that was going back to sea, I proceeded home to Marshall, North Carolina to pack and proceed to San Francisco from there and to also tell my parents that I was departing and going overseas and that I was leaving the Navy. I did not tell them that I might be in combat and give them any of the details, I just said that I was going out to the Far East to assist the Chinese and that it would be in Burma and China and to help get supplies into China and I explained to them why. That this was the sole source - and they were aware of what had happened and was happening to China - so I did not in any way leave them with any concern about what would happen to me and I blithely left, got aboard a train in my hometown. I went from there to Chicago, across the great plains, through Cheyenne, into San Francisco, and there joined the coterie that I was a member of, where we remained for 5 days before setting sail on the Bloemfontein. FRANK BORING: Before we get into that, two questions: one, what was the reaction of your parents and two, what was it about the train trip that you found to be so moving? �ED RECTOR: When I told my parents I was going out to the Far East, both of them said "Son, do we envy you! We know that you have been interested in that part of the world and your explanation that this is a heaven sent opportunity, how lucky you are and how we envy you and we know you'll enjoy it." Then getting on the train, that's when I - really the train trip took about 3 days - I fell in love with trains and today I'm a train buff and I have ridden 2/3 of the world's great railroads - trains - around the world, by the way. I am sure that that trip was the one that sewed me up and confirmed my continuing interest in trains. Crossing the plains I met a number of people and saw this vast nation of ours and although I'm good in geography, even I did not appreciate the expanse of this country. Just like my friends who visit me today from abroad, they are absolutely amazed at the size of the Continental United States as I was then in crossing it. FRANK BORING: Now if you would, give us your first impressions, that first time you walked in to the hotel and there's this group of guys from all over the country, gathered together and all going to do the same basic thing. What was that like? ED RECTOR: When I walked into the St. Francis Hotel, there was a person representing CAMCO that greeted us and greeted me and for the first time I met my colleagues, there were 29 of us, by the way, in our batch that went over. We introduced ourselves to each other and as I say, were there for about 5 days and we got to know each other quite well and it was an interesting group. Some Navy, some Marines, some Army Air Corps types, and they were all "hail fellows well met" and we got along famously. By the time we got aboard the Bloemfontein to set sail, we were all old buddies and had talked in detail and wondering ourselves just what the future held for us. But all of us anticipating the future and wanting to be a part of it. FRANK BORING: Knowing that these later became some of the closest friends, if not the closest friends of your whole life, one of the questions I've �always asked of the guys, what was it about that first meeting that just melded you all together? What was it that caused that immediate camaraderie - you were from all over the country, you were from different branches of the service, which traditionally has animosity between Army and Navy and all this kind of stuff - what was it about those 3 days or that first getting together - from your perspective? ED RECTOR: In looking back since that first meeting, I've often wondered about what welded us together with the cohesiveness and what turned out to be dedication and how well we got along, and I haven't really defined it except perhaps we knew that we were heading into danger, possibly and this would have a welding effect because we were fully aware that we were heading into peril, danger, possibly and I'm sure that that was an annealing effect that formed that camaraderie and later affection that we held for each other. FRANK BORING: Now there's been many, many stories that we've heard about the trip over on the boat and I would just like to hear your perspective of the trip, in as much detail as you want. The ship itself, the routine, some of the people that perhaps stuck out, either that became good friends or people that later on you got to know and also the stopovers that you made before you actually arrived in Rangoon. I know that's a tall order but as much as you want to roll along those waves, we'd like to hear about and any particular stories that stick out that you saw. ED RECTOR: We boarded the Bloemfontein, that's a ship of the Java-East India line, a Dutch ship. It had a Dutch crew and aboard we were… (break) ED RECTOR: After our meeting in San Francisco at our get acquainted first gathering, there were several briefings, one that was significant is that we would going over under cover and we were all assigned positions or professions and it varied from our leader… �(break) ED RECTOR: Our leader of our detachment 29, Ed Goyette, believe it or not he went over as a baseball player. (break) FRANK BORING: You've got to start from the beginning, about the secrecy and the initial meeting. ED RECTOR: After our initial meetings there were further briefings, the significant one being that we would all proceed under, not an alias, but as professions other than what we were and I of course went as a Draftsman. Another aspect of our assignment in terms of profession, Eddie Goyette, our leader, went as a baseball player. So we ran the gamut of professions, all of us with something different and that was the cover, as it were, that was assigned to us and with that new identification we went aboard ship and proceeded for the next 6 weeks. FRANK BORING: In terms of the reasons for the subterfuge, if you will, what did they tell you about it and, in actual fact, in your own opinion and the opinion of your fellows, how secret really was it? ED RECTOR: The purpose for this fake business or career capability was as cover for our true intentions and what we were really going over for, designed to keep this from the Japanese. That was the intent of it and from there, we proceeded under that assumption and that alias, as it were, all the way throughout the trip. FRANK BORING: In your opinion, was it a secret to the people around you outside of the AVG? ED RECTOR: This alias was fairly well contained aboard ship amongst the other 200 passengers, but I suspect that some of our people might have �let it slip. But I heard - I don't know how true this is - that the Japanese had uncovered us and that there was a broadcast which someone picked up that we had been found, as it were, by the Japanese and that we were identified. I have never tried to confirm this, but that is my understanding and the understanding of several of us who were on that trip. FRANK BORING: Could you in as much detail as you wish, give us an impression of what it was like to be on the boat, some of the incidents that happened, some of the people that stick out in your mind. Not only amongst the AVG but amongst your fellow passengers and the interaction between the AVG and the fellow passengers? ED RECTOR: We boarded the Jaegersfontein for almost a 2 month trip and it was an adventure and a joy unto itself. Aboard in addition to our 29 people were 200 passengers of all types ranging from an Iranian fur merchant to Chinese students returning home, missionaries going back to China, a woman doctor going over to China to do her good works, to a Dutch couple that was going to the Dutch East Indies for a new life. So the cut was totally across the board in terms of professions, nationalities and personalities. That made for a very interesting and fascinating voyage. After we got underway, the ship's routine was explained to us and the bar opened every afternoon at 4 o'clock, as I recall. The first people that joined the bar when it opened was our group, our 29 people and it was funny the first 10 days or two weeks, because the missionaries and the students walked by and would look in and this contingent until eventually one-by-one they started joining us and by the time we debarked from the Bloemfontein, everyone, missionaries, doctors, students were in the bar having fun, having a beer and laughing and singing. We converted them. It took us all of 3 weeks and they had joined us with great hilarity and very successful. An interesting aspect of this is that 24 hours out of Honolulu, we woke up one morning and here is the U.S.S. St. Paul, a cruiser just off of our starboard bow and it's proceeding with us and we wondered what this was all about. It proceeded ahead of us and we stayed �with them for 24 hours till we got into the harbor at Honolulu and dropped anchor. We were in Honolulu for 3 days and nights. We had a good time there. I had never been to Honolulu and again this is the beginning of that Far East venture that drew me in this direction in the first place. Then we found - we stayed aboard ship - we were briefed that we would be - instead of going direct to Manila, when we got underway we would be going to Brisbane, Australia. Well we didn't mind. None of us had ever been to Australia and we would be going blacked out and that we would be escorted for 48 hours by two U.S. Navy destroyers, and that's precisely what happened. There were smokers aboard and you could not light a cigarette on the deck or you were not supposed to, and we truly ran blacked out all the way to Australia. There had to be some disciplining done by the Skipper and when he called all the passengers together he said "we've got food enough for this extended trip, rather than going direct to Manila, so everything is okay and there's plenty of whiskey and plenty of beer." And I might say that the food was awfully good aboard ship. We crossed the equator and of course that was cause for great hilarity when King Neptune performed. We made - not friends - because the barber was King Neptune and a couple of our people treated him rather rudely - and he wasn't in the kindest or smilingest of spirits when a couple of our guys got through with him dumping him in the swimming pool, etc. FRANK BORING: If you could give us a description of the King Neptune's ceremony if you would? ED RECTOR: As you know crossing the equator there is always a ceremony on most every ship there is and it follows a general pattern around the world. Some are more vigorous and participated in with more hilarity than others. I suspect that ours would be in the top 10 percent in terms of what happened on this voyage. I won't tell you all the details but briefly, people were required to swallow things with a string to it and pulled back up and it was sort of really awful, but was participated in with great vigor by our group to the �extent that a couple of our people grabbed King Neptune, who you know has his scepter - trident - sorry, and decrees what will happen - and two of our boys just grabbed him and threw him in the pool and he was more than miffed, let me say. The smile disappeared, but it ended up peacefully and he didn't slit anyone's throat as he continued to cut hair and shave the rest of the trip. We proceeded from there, from the equator on to Brisbane, Australia. That was delightful in that these were new waters, none of us had ever been to Australia, we looked forward to that and we stayed there for 3 days and nights. Then we set sail for Manila. That was an interesting leg of the trip because going up over the drifts to the east of the Great Barrier Reef, we saw all that fluorescent water and all of that beautiful sight at night when a glow followed the ship with the fluorescence and heading into the Philippine Islands, believe it or not, we had aboard of course some Navy types and one of them was a communicator, Mickey Mihalko. We went right through the U.S. Pacific fleet, it was out on maneuvers and Mihalko who reads the dit-dah-ditty, he was reading the flashing light from one of the ships and he said "what ship?" and our guy replied presumably correctly and then they got the go-ahead by the flashing light and old Mihalko was reading it off to us as we stand in the dark running blacked out. So that was interesting and we went right through the fleet. We were in Manila for at least a week. Then from Manila, we went to Batavia, to Java, the Dutch East Indies. There we were off-loaded, our 29 people and we stayed there for 10 days and Tex Hill and I took this occasion to get on a plane, the Dutch KLM, and we flew up to the mountain resort, the capital of Java, and Bert Christman, the three of us, we were squadron mates in the Navy and we stayed there for 3 marvelous days and nights. What a time we had. Then we came back and we lived in a beautiful hotel in Batavia, now called Jakarta. Then a sister ship of the Bloemfontein - the Jaegersfontien that had taken over… � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v02 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 2 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector discusses leaving the Navy and traveling to San Francisco to join the AVG, in addition to their journey overseas and his experience aboard the Bloemfontein and Jaegersfontein. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8118db9aa69f7fd7732d7d4453bc2585.mp4 78cc64174056666be1c58c6410128857 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1251447ea7fc7f0cb9331e49d15385fe.pdf 127a491900e4cc10fffbce6d279f1064 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 3] FRANK BORING: You were just - when we got the interruption - talking of the sister ship that was bringing over another contingent. ED RECTOR: At the end of that 10 day stay in Java, Batavia, now Jakarta, we got on the sister ship of the Bloemfontein, the Jaegersfontein -, that had transported other contingents of the AVG to the Far East and after boarding her, we proceeded to Singapore. We were offloaded there and the first two nights we were billeted in an Army camp. It was two horrible nights. If you haven't slept on or seen or know what a charpoy is, that is an Indian roped bed or cot. That's what we had to sleep on in tents. And after the second day our fearless leader, Eddie Goyette, went down to see the American Consul and that afternoon we were moved out and put in two hotels, The Sunrise Hotel and those of us who were lucky enough, in the fabulous hotel "The Raffles" the old Raffles. And there we stayed for night on to 3 weeks. And what a time we had in Singapore. It was absolutely delightful and that was our first introduction to Asia, as it were. And while there, of the course the Chinese community, how they knew I do not know, but they gave us a banquet and I mean if you know anything about Chinese hospitality, it was a sumptuous banquet, at a marvelous restaurant, sort of outdoorsy like and there we were introduced first to Chinese food. I have since become a lover of Chinese food and I �can't go two or three weeks without an inner hunger for Chinese chow. But there we were introduced to shark's fin soup, which I love, but then it was ugh bit. But what a banquet we had and we were introduced to these strange foods, foreign to us. But I must say with later appreciation. It was a marvelous banquet. How they knew who we were, I have no idea. But the Chinese know these things. And I made friends there in Singapore that I have to this very day. Incidentally, back to the Raffles Hotel, I fell in love with that place knowing its historical background and I've been back purposely three times since. They've added a wing, a modern wing, but the old Raffles is still there in all of its appealing glory with all of the names and the hallways and the dedicated areas for all of the - for Kipling all of the other British writers who resided there from time to time. So it's a marvelous place to re-visit. After the three weeks, then we were put on a Norwegian coastwise freighter, steamer. It had been in the Far East coast lines shipping. This was a 4 day trip and thank God it didn't last any longer - to Rangoon. We got aboard and there were bunks just for about 30 or 32 people. Now picture if you will a prison cell or a wing where there are levels, 3 cots to a side in one room and then also consider that up in the Captain's quarters there were 2 bunks available with the luxury of proper accommodations. We cut straws to see who got those 2 bunks and I of course wasn't one of the winners. Now then, let me explain the hellaciousness of living in those cramped quarters down below for those 4 days and nights. At night when the light was off you could hear all this skittering about on the floor and you'd turn on the light and there were cockroaches, I kid you not, that big that were scurrying to hide. We put up with that and if you had to get up at night - I know one of our chaps sought to be quiet and not wake the people and not turn on the light and he crunched several of these cockroaches. Thereafter it was quite okay for anyone who had to go to turn on the light while these critters would scurry and hide. We endured that for 4 days and nights. We arrived in Rangoon, went up the river and debarked in the early afternoon and we were met there by Skip Adair, who came down from Toungoo to greet us along with a couple of other �people and it was relatively easy. They had coolies and help that off loaded our gear on busses and took us to the train station and then we had a delightful trip. We were now in Kipling country. We got on the train during daylight and it took 4 hours to go from Rangoon up to Toungoo, looking out of the window and talking to other passengers and to ourselves, through endless rice paddies and saying to ourselves and to each other "we're here at last" and that's how we arrived in Toungoo. FRANK BORING: Please describe, especially keeping in mind your whole fascination with Kipling and you've had all this time now to anticipate what it was going to be like to finally be there, give us an idea of what it was like to finally arrive in Toungoo and what did you find? ED RECTOR: Looking forward to what to expect when we eventually arrived in Rangoon, I thought about it, trying to envision what it might be like, but I just could not see, so it was totally new to me. When we arrived Rangoon was a city of broad streets, lots of trees and it had that comfortable, colonial, British look. Even then I detected with my first encounter with that part of the world and I felt maybe this was the way it would be and thereafter everything that I saw was more than 50% of the time it was a revelation to me in terms of the natives - so it was new and that was the fascination, that it was totally new and I was learning and that continued right on until the entry into China - the wonderment of things that happened. I recall as a boy seeing in the National Geographic a story about a native tribe in Burma where the ladies had necks that were elongated and there were 12 or 20 silver necklaces around their neck that kept their head up. That tribe existed 10 miles away up in the hills from Toungoo where we were based. One Sunday - we traveled by - all of us had a bike - about 6 or 8 of us biked up there to see these people and to take pictures and see them and it was a revelation to me and all of us had heard about such people and knew about this practice. We saw one lady whose necklaces had been removed and she could barely hold her head erect, in fact she couldn't. But their necks were truly elongated and it was a practice that just left us in �wonderment. That is an example of the side trips that we took to acquaint ourselves with what was going on. Another instance was we would go shopping. Chennault lectured us from 7 in the morning until 8 o'clock and then we flew until 1 o'clock. Then it was so hot in Burma that we had been retired for - not siesta time but no activity and then at 5 or 6 we would start again. But during the late afternoon and evenings we would go on shopping trips. It was some 5 miles into the town of Toungoo and we would peddle in and do shopping and buy objects d'art and whatever else interested and we all became fascinated with the native dress, both men and women, which is called a longee, which is nothing but a skirt, a wrap-around skirt. It's called lungee in Calcutta, India, but in Burma it's a longee. So we bought those because it was such a handy garment and it's so very cool. And the natives it didn't seem to bother them in terms of their activity and endeavor. So everybody ended up with 2 or 3 or 4 of these longee's and I would call Bert Christman and myself buying longee's in the shop and I picked out 2 or 3 and he does the same. Then we'd hear this snickering and look around and all these little girl salesmen and customers are snickering and a couple of men are laughing and we asked "why you laugh?" Well the patterns we had chosen for attractiveness - and they're flowered patterns - men don't wear flowered patterns - they are always checked, so we put those back and got the checked ones and thanked them for letting us know. FRANK BORING: When you arrived in Toungoo, if you could give us an idea of where were you billeted, what was the camp like, and then eventually what were your first immediate duties? What were you first asked to do? ED RECTOR: When we arrived in Toungoo, we were assigned to our own billets by squadron. I was assigned to the second squadron and we had the pallets in officer's billet and it was about 200 yards from the mess hall and lounge. All of these buildings, by the way, are bamboo constructed, walls with hard wooden floors and flip up and out windows that were closed at night. �(break) FRANK BORING: What we're looking for is really an idea - and you're doing exactly - the division of the squadrons, and if you could also explain when you start again because it was all interrupted, how were the squadrons divided? You said you were assigned to a squadron how was that done? And then where you were billeted and description of the barracks and then eventually what were your first duties, your first introduction to the AVG staff, I guess when you first met Chennault? If I remember correctly, he was not there at this time. But begin with the arrival in Toungoo, the assignment into squadrons, why were you assigned to Pandas as opposed to any other. ED RECTOR: We arrived in Toungoo and prior to that time the selection of your squadron had already been decided by Chennault and our colleague, Charlie Mott, who sat down with Chennault and who had our names and we were allocated and assigned to the squadrons and Charlie, being Navy, he sort of got the Second Squadron primarily all Navy, which it was. We had two Army Air Corps guys and we lost one of those and the rest of us were all Navy in the Second Squadron, the Panda Bears. That's how we were assigned and the men, the ground crew personnel, the technicians, they were assigned the same way. (break) FRANK BORING: Begin in Toungoo again. ED RECTOR: After arriving in Toungoo, we already had our assignments for squadrons that we would be assigned to and we were met. (break) FRANK BORING: Start over right from the very beginning. �ED RECTOR: On arrival in Toungoo by rail, we had already been assigned to our squadrons. That assignment had been arrived at by Chennault and our colleague, Charlie Mott, who had the lists of people, both ground and pilots and they were assigned accordingly. Our billets were of course by squadron. The pilot squadron, the billet, in terms of where we slept, ours, the Second Squadron was 200 yards from the mess hall and the lounge. The First Squadron and the Third Squadron, their officer billets were in the same area. Down below, the men were also billeted by squadron near their mess hall and their lounge and the assignments having been made by the time any of us - and we arrived in contingents - by the time we arrived in Toungoo everyone knew their assignment, where to go and were transported to those billets. The billets themselves were native made. It might be constructive to say that this Toungoo Air Base was built by the RAF and was one of several strategic bases up in the central part and northeastern part of Burma, strategic locations for the RAF and this was 190 miles north of Rangoon and it served our purposes ideally. The billets were already in place and the cook shacks, the mess halls, so it was ideal. The runway was less than 5000 feet. There were no taxi-ways. You taxied down the runway to take off. The regime that we followed might be of interest. Chennault addressed every incoming group, the pilots and we would have breakfast at 6 in the morning. At 7 o'clock he would address us in terms of tactics, what he expected, describing the Japanese aircraft, telling us the tactics and techniques to be employed, particularly against the Japanese Zero, which was their top line fighter at the time and following his half hour of instruction each morning and this went on, a lecture each morning, for about 3 weeks. Then we would start flight training. We would go out and check out in - first of all we had to check out in the P40 because none of us had flown it before. FRANK BORING: Before you get into that, could you describe the first time you actually met Chennault? �ED RECTOR: Meeting Chennault was something all of us had looked forward to and I met him on the base at the headquarters building when we were brought in and introduced to him and then later, after we had checked into our billets, I met him again at that evening meal in the mess hall and the lounge and I found the occasion to say to him "Colonel Chennault, may I ask you a question, Sir?" and he said "yes". I said "I wonder if you have any plans for us to receive, those of us who want to, to receive instruction in the Chinese language?" and he said "No". And I said "I wondered about it because some of us took lessons with a Chinese Professor on the way over and we found it fascinating for the time we were aboard ship and I just thought that you might continue this here, because it would appear to be helpful." He said "no, we have no such program." I said "I wonder why, Sir?" and by this time he's calling me Eddie, he says "Eddie, I'll tell you. Back in 1937 when I arrived in China in Nanking I went in to see the Generalissimo and Madame Chiang and had my first 45 minutes with them and Madame Chiang then, when the meeting was over, saw me to the door and I turned to her and said 'Madame Chiang, I wonder if you would recommend to me a Chinese tutor?'" and she said "What for?" I said "Well Ma'am, aviation is a technical business and I'll have to speak the language if I'm going to get over the points that have to be made technically." and he said with that Madame Chiang took her little fist and beat it in the palm of the other one and said "Don't you ever learn Chinese." And he said "Well why Ma'am?" and she said "Because then you'll become like all of the British and the other Americans who come over here to help us. Then you start forgiving us for all of our shortcomings and failures and you'll become another old China hand and that is not what we need." � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v03 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 3 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector describes his first impressions upon arriving in Rangoon and later by rail in Toungoo, in addition to his first meeting with General Chennault. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/197eae2c4094855522fdfe8a6d72faed.mp4 704b6cf6506e1945ce0b32efe80948d1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/76a87c823fdd05723621758dffc4a1c3.pdf d756152eeb7bdb4b361c53259d17e585 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 4] ED RECTOR: I asked the General then why we didn't have such a program, that I would think that it would be helpful and beneficial. And he said "Eddie, I'll tell you a story. When I arrived in China and in my first meeting with the Generalissimo and Madame Chiang, Madame Chiang saw me to the door and in saying goodbye and thanking her I said "By the way Madame Chiang, I wonder if you could recommend to me a Chinese tutor." She said "What for?" He said "Well I need to learn the Chinese language." She says "What for?" And I said "Well Madame Chiang, aviation is a technical business and it must be taught - there are technical aspects that must be understood and I would think that I would need to know the language." And with that Madame Chiang folded up one tiny fist and beat it in the palm of her hand and said "Don't you ever learn Chinese." And he said "Well why, Ma'am." and she said "Because then you will become like all the British and all the Americans who have come to China over the years and the decades to help us and you'll become forgiving of our shortcomings and failures and you will become an old China hand and you are therefore useless to us. We want someone to be absolutely firm in fact dictatorial in allowing us to get over these decades of forgiveness that we've been getting from the western world." And he said "So Eddie that was good enough for me." And I said "Well Sir, if it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me too." �FRANK BORING: Let's now look at Chennault's - from the point of view of you were a young pilot, you'd already gone through training in the Navy, had a certain knowledge and understanding of the airplane that you flew, certain amount of confidence in what you were doing, Chennault was actually talking about things that were foreign to you in some ways, in terms of his tactics. Give us from that perspective, not the later perspective of after you'd done battle and tested out his theories, but the young pilot sitting there listening to this man, who you were literally putting your life in his hands? ED RECTOR: In those morning briefing's that he gave to all of the pilots, and it was the same briefing to everyone and it was 2-1/2 to 3 weeks long, he talked about and explained the capabilities of the P-40 and the capabilities of the Japanese aircraft and particularly the Japanese Zero which was their top line fighter. The significant thing that he taught us was to use the assets of the P-40 in fighting the Japanese aircraft. There were 3 basic things. First you cannot out-turn a Japanese airplane, their radius of turn is much shorter, never try to do a typical turning dog fight. Secondly, you have him out-gunned, never refuse a head-on pass, and thirdly, when he is out-turning you when you have made a pass, stick the nose down because he's got a radial engine and you've got an in-line engine, stick the nose down 20, 40, 60 degrees and you'll immediately pull away, use that speed to climb back up and join the fight again. He said if you keep those 3 principals in mind and never try to turn in a dog fight, that's the way to fight the Japanese. And that is precisely what we were schooled in and what we were drilled in and we followed that. It's interesting to note that Chennault later, after December 7th, wrote a 10 page treatise that he sent back to General Hap Arnold explaining the tactics that were used and why they were so successful and why we had been successful on December 20th, 25th, 27th, and subsequently and that bit of information was never disseminated to the field and several of us have wondered since that had it been disseminated, how many P40 pilots in the Philippines and Java, New Guinea, Australia and �elsewhere might have lived had they not tried to turn with the Zero. FRANK BORING: What was your impression, your opinion, if you will as a pilot, of the Japanese pilot before Chennault started talking to you about it and then what was your impression after Chennault started educating you in the Japanese pilot, as a pilot? ED RECTOR: The lectures by Chennault had taught us, first of all to respect the Zero and that's what we had prepared for and we had due and proper respect for the Japanese aircraft. When fighting actually started, we found that the Japanese, the pilots were bold, they were effective in many instances and we also ran into some ancient aircraft. We ran into some fixed-wing aircraft over Rangoon and over northern Thailand, but we also ran into the other versions of the Zero. So we ran the gamut of what we faced. They had fixedwing dive-bombers also. We met all those 3 types. The thing that we were aware of, and became aware of real fast, was that the Japanese didn't know how to escort bombers. They always sat back about a mile or 2 miles, rather than put escort fighters up forward, like all U.S. and all other Air Forces do and to the end of the war, later in the 14th Air Force, that is the way they fought. The fighters were always back a mile to 2 miles and they never had a forward escort, ahead of the bomber formations. That continued during our stay in Burma until we were pushed out. FRANK BORING: Let's go back to the pilots themselves. Before Chennault started giving you lectures on - not the capabilities of the airplanes - but the Japanese as pilots. I know in America there was a lot of propaganda of the Japanese as having bottle neck glasses and buck teeth; they didn't know how to fly and all this kind of stuff. Did you have that impression? Or what was your impression of the Japanese as fighter pilots before and then what information did Chennault give you that may have changed your opinion of that? �ED RECTOR: Chennault in his briefing's had said that the Japanese pilots were brave, they were cocky, they were sure and against the competition, which was the Chinese Air Force, they had been very effective, but they had their vulnerabilities and that, first of all, do not believe in the denigration of the Japanese pilot as being unable to fight or see, he is very capable, as you will find out when you get into combat. Then he said there is a degree of rote-ness in their performance once in combat or going into combat and he was absolutely right. Later when we did get into combat we found that he was absolutely right. FRANK BORING: During this period of time in training, you got a chance to really get to know the men that you were working with. When you first arrived in Toungoo there already were some people that were not going to take the heat and the conditions. Give us some impressions of the men that you had met there. Not just the ones that eventually stayed on, but also your opinion of - what was your reaction to some of the people that resigned early and how was this process of getting to know the men? ED RECTOR: Meeting the rest of the AVG personnel after we arrived in Toungoo was - looked forward to it and eventually you meet everyone. Of course I met all of my squadron mates the first day there. Then on the flight line I met the ground personnel and eventually most of the ground personnel in all the other squadrons as well as the categories of specialists, from supply to propeller experts and so on. My impression was that this is a very select and able outfit. During that period there were some - call them defections - 2 or 3 or 4 who decided to go home. I never knew them, knew nothing about them but they were very few on the order of 3 or 4, certainly less than 5. Then the rest of them were effective people. Little did I know how effective they were until we got into combat. We had, without a doubt, a selection of the most capable, able, smart, dedicated crew chiefs, armorers, radiomen, that it is possible to assemble anywhere. Without them, �let me tell you, we would have been dead in the water by April 1942, were it not for their smarts and dedication. FRANK BORING: In November of 1941, the AVG had come to look like a trained fighter group. You had gone through the preliminary - learning how to fly the P-40's. During that period of time though, some of the pilots had never flown a P-40, some of them had been used to other types of aircraft which were completely different from the P40. Please describe any of the problems, as you saw it, of not only yourself, but also in your evidence of what you saw around you, the problems that went on during training. Because we know that Chennault was very frustrated at times, in fact at certain times he even closed everything down and had you go back into the classroom. Give us your impressions of that training period time? ED RECTOR: During this period of training in the fall of 1941, aside from Chennault's lectures and classroom work, we did a lot of training in the airplane, getting to know it. As an example, I got in the P-40, for my first flight I had a cockpit check and I looked out at that long nose and I started up the engine, and you have never seen a more safe, slow taxiing out to the flight line. I expected that nose to do this - it is so far out there - because I'd been flying SB2U2's dive-bombers in the Navy - with the radial engine and that nose on that P-40, that Allison engine, it stuck out to the horizon and I tiptoed out to the runway and took off and after a couple of flights, why that disappears and you taxi confidently, if not cockily, because that's one barrier that you're past. The other guys also had the same reaction with that big nose sticking out. In the operations there were several mishaps as one would expect. On interesting story that happened eventually after we were in China, one of our colleagues, a pilot, he had crashed three P-40's. He was a P-boat pilot before being recruited, flying big boats in the Navy and on the crash of the 4th P-40 - just coming in for a landing - he would land 10 feet in the air and the plane would drop in and there went a P-40. Finally Chennault called him in and said "Listen you're fast becoming an ace here, but you're knocking down P-40's instead of �Japanese" (this was after the war started) and he said "I think I'm gonna move you over to the flight section and you can help fly the Beechcraft." This pilot, tears running down his cheeks, literally, said -- by this time it's General Chennault - "General, don't do that to me, just send me home." He said "I came over here to fight and that's what I want to do and I'm not going to fly a Lockheed aircraft transport." Sobbing he said "Just send me home." Chennault, if I might digress here and say what my opinion of Chennault, he was a brilliant tactician, he was the greatest leader that I have ever known. If there is one weakness that Chennault had, it was a soft heart. He was too forgiving, both in the AVG and also later when he was Commander of the 14th Air Force. He put up with mediocrity simply because in the instance of this pilot that I have been talking to you about, if you show him that you want to fight, so Chennault forgave him and said "Okay, I'll give you one more chance." Do you know that that individual went on and he eventually shot down two aircraft? FRANK BORING: What I'd really like to get into now in the training part, what was the discipline like? And the differences that you saw between the way the AVG operated and the way that you were used to in the military and going into the fact that there was no ranks and all that. For the public to note what that was like. So as I know it, but the audience doesn't know it, there was a real sense of purpose and they knew what their jobs were. But give us an idea what the discipline was like and the difference between AVG and what you were used to in the Navy. ED RECTOR: The contrast between the AVG and the military service, being formerly Navy, was quite a contrast indeed. There was comradery, there was a looseness, there was not the fastidiousness, if you will, in our organization. It was a hail fellow well met bit between the ground crew and the pilots. We did have rank in terms of flying in the squadrons. From Squadron Leader, Flight Leader and Wingman and there was a hierarchy in terms of Line Chief and Chief of Specialties amongst the technicians and the ground crew. �But amongst all of us there was no saluting or sir'ing and that led eventually - there inevitably would be some instances of bad apples that had to be cast aside. Fortunately, thank God, they were few. They were literally fired and sent home with a dishonorable discharge. But by and large these were all dedicated people and you made a point of getting along. And I might say that those that were discharged and sent home they were pilots as well as ground crew. Again, fortunately very few. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 4 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector discusses his initial training period with General Chennault and meeting the rest of the AVG personnel in Toungoo. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/593c8472e8d17366dc96ed5f22536bc4.mp4 6a5426bd6172edba7779c4287aaee8c0 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5310e51d0150ab4c444d8125d2e303e4.pdf 56e108afade0333f775cedd793f0242f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 5] ED RECTOR: In essence the AVG was comprised of dedicated people and this dedication and the relative lack, in fact the almost total lack of any confrontational aspects or any spit and polish that we knew as military people, both technicians, ground crew and pilots, was missing and the reason we got along so well, aside from the bad apples that I have mentioned, was the fact that there was mutual respect. We knew that we had the best people, we had seen them perform, and again to repeat, it was the mutual respect that these guys knew what they were doing and they knew that we were fairly effective pilots with the scores that we started piling up. So there was no reason for any conflict at all and why, by and large, in fact not by and large, but in almost every instance there was complete cooperation. FRANK BORING: Let's try to get more detail in - I keep using the word discipline and I use it as a two-edged sword, the discipline the military talks about as necessary for an effective unit that held the unit together and operated almost like a business as opposed to a military unit. You've mentioned self-respect, how Chennault fits into this somewhere, the evidence that you saw of people doing things and you go oh that person does that well. I guess that's what I'm trying to get at that if you could once again give us the answer back again in perhaps a different form? �ED RECTOR I thought I had, but give me 30 seconds. The key to the success of the American Volunteer Group stems from several things really. We evolved in the AVG at that time, left the discipline, the control of the military service. That's how we performed. We arrived in Toungoo and that discipline that we knew before, it was ingrained in us and it started with Chennault. He's an ex-military man, a retired military man, we were. We knew and he knew what was required of people and you do your job and you don't get into trouble and he instilled that along with his fascinating personality really. There wasn't an AVG'er that was not struck by the magnetism of this man. So it started from Chennault and down from him to the flight line, the former Master Sergeants in the Army and Chief Bosun's in the Navy and Marine Corps. These were men in authority with responsibility and the technicians and the others that were fully qualified in their fields. Once you saw their capability, and above all their dedication to doing the job, then there just automatically arose a mutual regard and above all, respect for each other and out of that flowed the comradery and the support. There was no saluting or sir'ing at all because it wasn't required and we were not a military outfit. But the regard that we had for each other, and again the respect. These were smart people and aside from the bad apples, very few, less than 5 pilots and ground crew combined, that were kicked out and sent home, there could not have been gathered a more competent, informal, nonmilitary coterie or cadre of people, than the AVG. FRANK BORING: If you would ………… once you heard of Pearl Harbor? ED RECTOR: Recall that continuing contingents of AVG'ers were still arriving in batches of 4, 10 and 16 right up and past December 7th December 8th out there - Pearl Harbor day, we had people still arriving and we had pilots incidentally who had never fired the guns on the P-40 prior to going into combat. Good story there that I think I should intercede with. One pilot came down after his first dog fight and shot down an airplane and he also had a probable and �he came in and was being debriefed and the armorer finally came up and said "Bob, why didn't you fire your 50's?" and he said "I did" and he said "No you didn't, there's not one shell gone." Well this guy had been taught how to take the 30 calibers - you do this, they're all manually charged, like this, it's manually charged. The two 50 calibers are up here firing synchronized through the prop. You grab a pistol handle and you pull it all the way back to your shoulder until it stops and let it go and then you have loaded it and it's ready to fire and Bob did not - he'd never fired guns before, he was an instructor before signing up. And he had grabbed these handles and pulled them back right here and let them go and he thought they were firing and he had shot down an airplane and got another probably by using only his 30 calibers. But December 7th, the 8th out there, I recall it very well because I happened to be having breakfast with Chennault that morning, it was about 7:30 in the morning and the message center came in with the message and that's when we first heard that Pearl Harbor had been attacked and he stood right up - and I won't say that I saw a smile on his face but I will tell you this, there was a look of relief that even that taciturn man could not hide and he said "well, this is it" and he started quietly and gave a couple of orders. He said "get 4 airplanes airborne immediately" and then he set up other patrols during the day, relief. These sorts of actions proceeded during the day. During the next couple of days he was in conference with the Generalissimo. As a matter of fact, he flew to Kunming and then came back and then he met with the British who came up from Toungoo. The big Air Commander of southeast Asia was there, Sir so and so Poppin (Brooke-Popham), and the Chinese, General Chennault and the Brit's arrived at after the first week, what the deployment of our force would be, because it was going to be hurried up quickly because now we are in the war. We, the pilots and the ground crew, we realized the balloon is up. This puts a totally different aspect or picture, our country is at war, so this is not to protect the Burma Road, this is all out. So we were even more motivated, if that were possible. So after this change in our attitude and this week of conferencing, one of the squadrons was - �the Third Squadron, was dispatched to Rangoon to help the British, the RAF, defend Rangoon and the hurry up operation of dispatching us to Kunming, the Second and First Squadrons was hurried up, expedited because the Japanese had just resumed the bombing of undefended Kunming. So this was hurried up by a week, our deployment to Kunming. We took off - those two squadrons - and arrived in Kunming about 5 in the afternoon and there was smoke in the city where the Japanese bombers - they were using Kunming as a bombing practice target. We saw the smoke and the debris in the city when we landed and were deployed for the night and then were up and ready at 7 o'clock the next morning for combat, we had alert on the line. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v05 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 5 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector discusses the dedication and mutual respect that fueled the success of the American Volunteer Group, in addition to how the news of Pearl Harbor affected them and their operations. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a7e92c5434e7aa5642b81464c770b5bb.mp4 0c3dd3a673649431df6928c99a549ffe https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4d0bfd110348dd687f6adc20357668d6.pdf 42e88302a42c7a411f5f8914e15f05d4 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 6] FRANK BORING Let's begin first though with [?] and then start into Kunming. ED RECTOR: With Pearl Harbor, my personal feelings were that this is it, this adds a dimension four plateaus above what we had come out here to do, it was my country at war, this is totality and this puts a new aspect on it that heightened my appreciation of what I would be doing and what would be required of me as against the contract that I had signed and was expected originally and was the cause of me being out in the Far East. My attitude changed in this regard that it was more dedicated, I was more disciplined - not disciplined but oriented in terms of total effectiveness and that was the impact it had on me and remained that way. So it was literally about a four plateaus leap in terms of concentration, in terms of doing what would be required. I personally reviewed in my mind, because after Pearl Harbor I reflected to myself the readiness of the Atlantic Fleet that I had just left and then what had happened at Clark Field in the Philippines and was continuing to happen around the world, the disasters that were happening in the desert of North Africa. I thought about all of those things but I had no doubt in my mind that it would be turned around. Never a qualm in terms of whether we would win in the end. Those are the thoughts that went through my mind and knew that what we would have to do that we were in a prime position to be effective at the outset. We were in �the theater, we were facing the Japs right now. Here was an opportunity, a golden opportunity to make an impact. Those were the thoughts that I mulled over and I had no qualms or any concern about the danger of it because I was ready for it to get started, knowing that I was good. FRANK BORING: Describe if you will your landing. ED RECTOR: Prior to December 7th, the Japanese had moved into Bangkok and Chennault and the RAF wanted to have pictures of what that contingent consisted of. They had moved from French Indo-China into Thailand and to Bangkok, Donlong Airdrome particularly. So we took a P-40, Eric Schilling did, and took it down to Rangoon and the RAF photographer, the technician installed an RAF aerial camera in the belly, the bottom of the P-40 and they checked it out on the ground and it worked okay and he might have even tried an airborne flight to see that it worked and he learned how to do the mechanism. Bert Christman, a Squadron Leader of mine in the Navy and I were sent down then to join him as his escort to go over and photograph from as high as we could get Donlong Airdrome. We took off about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The P-40 did not have the range to go to Bangkok and back so we stopped at the Craw? Peninsula, a RAF field called Tavoy. We arrived there with smoke and haze all around there airfield and the Japanese from Thailand and particularly from Bangkok, Donlong Airdrome, had just strafed the airfield before we landed. We quickly refueled and started climbing and Crix, Bert as we called him, we both got up high, I was a little higher than Crix and he was back here, and we were looking because we expected the sky to rain Zeros. We climbed past 24,000 feet, 26,000 feet and we're still climbing and we're 50 miles from Donlong to get to the maximum altitude that we could. Well at 50 miles out my engine starts sputtering and I had to get on the wobble pump. The wobble pump provides more air, pressure to the fuel system and we get to 27,000 feet, beautiful sunshiny day, couldn't have been better and I ride that wobble pump all the way in and I'm looking all over for Zeros and so is �Bert and we go in and I see Eric rolled that P-40 up like that and eyeballed the airfield and then he rolls it back and snaps a picture and then he rolls it up again and we're still looking for airplanes, riding the wobble pump. Then after he makes that run we turn and stick the nose down and head back for Rangoon, 400 miles an hour indicated. I got down to the level where I could get off the wobble pump and we proceeded back to Rangoon, landed. They took the film in and it was a magnificent photo run. There were over 130 airplanes wing tip to wing tip there. Beautifully portrayed and lined up wing tip to wing tip and there were other aircraft off to the side that were support aircraft like transports and so on. That was a marvelous bit of intelligence for the British and for Chennault and for the Chinese, to know that that kind of force had already landed in Thailand and was present at Bangkok. FRANK BORING: What was Chennault's reaction to this prize in front of him? (break) ED RECTOR: On arriving in Kunming from Toungoo with the early debouching because of the bombing that had started at Kunming, it was a beautiful day and the flight up was serene and we arrived about 5 in the afternoon and I recall flying over Kunming Lake, a beautiful body of water and we had been briefed on the airfield that some elements, some sections of it would be under construction but it wouldn't be any problem in terms of landing and that we'd be at 7400 feet, we'd be landing at altitude compared to 400 feet at Toungoo, to keep that in mind and we landed and our ground people were already up there and in place and we knew where each squadron would be, where our radio rooms would be and where the flight lines would be and we were properly escorted and parked our aircraft. The ground crew already knew what airplanes were scheduled for what type of check. Incidentally, mine was scheduled for a 25 hour check and the cowling came off that night and some work was done on it and the next morning the cowling was off and that's another story. But then we were put into vehicles �and we were taken to our billets and this was a contrast. My group, the pilot's group was transported across town, right through the center of town and we saw evidence of the bombing that had taken place that day and the day before and there was debris all about and crowds of people, masses of people that I had never seen before. It was just overpowering the number of people. Streets filled with people shoulder to shoulder, it seemed. But we arrived and our billets were in the dormitories of a former girl's school and this is western construction and a dining room downstairs and a bar and beds and instead of cots and mosquito netting - oh we did have mosquito netting also. And so these were palatial quarters compared to what we'd been accustomed to. So that was a wonderful contrast and a respite to get away from those bashes as they were known in Burma. Before we left the airfield that evening to go into our quarters - I was Assistant Operations Officer - and I'd made out the schedule for the next morning alert. The maintenance was already squared away in terms of what was to be done. Then having done that and secured a place of operation, that's when we moved into our billets. The next morning we were out at sunrise, a little before sunrise to have an alert ready for takeoff and it was at that time that I saw it was daylight and I'm looking at all these coolies working on the airfield and that was amazing with the rollers being pulled and the splitting of rocks by women and children and the totality of the human effort to improve and repair the runway and the taxi and parking areas also. I was impressed with that. Then I was doing other work because my plane was in for a check - the first Jing bow, that's an air alarm sounded, an alert and four planes took off. Then there was a two ball alert - that means they're closer. So four other planes were sent off and four more. By this time, right after the first Jing bow and after the sound of the second, I streamed down to the line I said "get that cowling back on my P-40" and Harry Fox was our line chief, they started putting the cowling back on, they hadn't gotten that far and they got the cowling on and I eventually - many things happened in terms of the first five making contact and then breaking off and then others, the second two flights making contact �with a formation of nine Japanese bombers that had flown up from Indo-China, that was where they were based and doing their practice runs over Kunming. So I caught up with the fight, with all of these guys making passes. FRANK BORING: Wait - I want a lot more detail on that particular thing - the warning net - so you're in Kunming now ED RECTOR: Fairly well on into our stay in Toungoo, I became aware of the role that Chinese people, Chinese personnel played and would play an ever-increasing important role in our endeavor. The first impression was that there were Chinese in Toungoo including the Colonel's Aide, P. Y. Shu, and also several others in terms of specialties, but it came home to me when I found out that all of our P-40's, the 99 P-40's that we eventually received and were assembled in Rangoon, they were assembled by Chinese and with a Tech Rep, a Technical Representative and they were test hopped before we ferried them up to Toungoo by a Chinese pilot, who incidentally later turned out to be one of the dearest friends I've had, later Chief of the Air Force, Ambassador to Korea, the whole bit. But he was a test pilot who flew every one of those P-40's before we got them in. FRANK BORING: His name? ED RECTOR: That test pilot was Y.T. Low, the friend of the AVG, later one of the dearest friends I've ever had in my life. I knew him on Taiwan and later he was Commander of the Chinese Air Force, later Ambassador to Korea. FRANK BORING: Were you aware of what was going on with the Chinese interaction? ED RECTOR: Still in Burma we were briefed about the ground net. I can bring it in in terms of seeing the ground net in operation. We had been �briefed about it before so I can start with the first Jing-bow and say… (break) ED RECTOR: In addition to the physical damage that we saw as we drove through town from the airfield into our billets, another aspect that was very apparent to us was the support the Chinese gave us. Hundreds of them on the airfield that helped park the airplanes and they of course were responsible for feeding us and bedding us and boarding us and tending to us and caring for us, that was apparent the first night. Thereafter, they were the people who slung the props and did the hard manual labor and the next morning, when we got the first Jing bow alert, there came into being the full appreciation of what Chennault had briefed us on before, the effectiveness of the ground warning net that he had organized on his own when he came to China and it was all over China. And the effectiveness of it was that when that first Jing bow went up, those planes were being warmed up and taking off in Indo-China and they had watchers that close to know about it. When the second Jing bow was sounded, they had crossed over Lao Kay? Coming up to Kunming and the third Jing bow is when they're 150 kilometers away. So that was an indication of the effectiveness of the net that we had been briefed on. The next morning we were prepared for operations and we had the early dawn alert out and ready and manned. The rest of us came out about an hour later and it was then that we heard the first Jing bow. My plane had been readied for a 25 hour check, which meant that the cowling, the covering of the engine, had been taken off and the mechanics and technicians were just getting ready to turn to in terms of what a 25 hour check includes, and I yelled to them, ran down to the flight line actually, and said "put that cowling back on" and promptly went back, got my parachute and got my cap and paraphernalia, ran back and got in the airplane, warmed it up. Prior to this, the early morning alert flight had taken off. Two other flights had taken off later with the second Jing bow, and I got off after they did and joined up with them due east of Kunming in high towering �cumulus clouds. I saw the fellows hanging on their props shooting at this formation of nine bombers in a big, beautiful Vee. I plowed on in and I said I'm not going into that maelstrom, because I thought, how are they keeping from killing each other? Because they were just hanging and making passes and no bombers were going down. So I pulled up to the high perch, that's the beam of the last of the formation, the last guy on the port side of this vee, and I stood up there in a typical attack thing that you're taught from the first day you learned fighter tactics, and that's called a curve of pursuit, and with that I came in like this, rolled in, and you're all moving forward and you are inevitably drawn in behind, but I started firing at an angle off of about 40 degrees, gradually closed until the last 100 yards, I was going right up the tail of the airplane. I could see my bullets hitting the plane and it wouldn't go down. Something happened to me then that was unique and I learned forever and thereafter, I got what is called target fascination, that is, you become fascinated with the target and you fly into it. I damned near did it. At the last split second - and I'm still shooting, my guns have been shooting for seven seconds, five seconds, which is a long burst - and at the last moment I shoved the stick forward and I came so close that airplane - I can see in my mind's eye today the camouflage and the Zeus buttons and the welding and as I went underneath, I saw - right in his face - the dust bin gunner hanging over his gun, and I had shot his lower jaw away. But with that target fixation, I damned near killed myself and I learned from it and never did it again, obviously. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v06 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 6 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector discusses how the news of Pearl Harbor and being at war heightened the AVG's operations, in addition to the important role the Chinese personnel played in their endeavor. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b9215d453827e6dd58317877d2f6e153.mp4 9c0650c7a0fbe2e04f7dd048d9983207 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fc76e574366acf5366cc3fb7d0434ad1.pdf 062fa46087efa5e5a9781eb29de95fc2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 7] ED RECTOR: When I caught up with the formation and the melee of my compatriots who had them under attack, I pulled up to the typical, what is called high perch position for a fighter curve of pursuit attack, and that's about 500 feet above the formation. I made such a curve of pursuit, 40 degrees angle off, I started shooting and as I closed in I… (break) ED RECTOR: I'm in the high perch position - that is the normal position for a curve of pursuit fighter aircraft attack and from there, I started… (break) ED RECTOR: When the cowling was back on my airplane and it was ready, I warmed it up quickly and took off and I had the report by radio that the formation was east of the field and of course the town, I barreled out in that direction, going through cumulus clouds that towered above us and on either side, and there were great big valleys of open space, and I eventually caught up with the formation of ten Japanese bombers, and my colleagues who were making attacks on them and I looked in wonderment as to why they hadn't run into each other because this was the first combat we had ever been in and they were swarming underneath and all around and hanging on their props and I didn't want any part of �that melee, so I pulled up to the high perch position that a fighter pilot takes when he flies a curve of pursuit, and when I was in position, abeam of the formation, I turned and came in like this and started flying 40 degrees angle off and eventually ended up behind the last bomber on the left, on the port side, firing all the time and I closed in rapidly and something happened to me at that point that I remembered thereafter forever. I'd been briefed and I knew about target fixation or fascination, that is when a pilot becomes fascinated and flies into the target that he is attacking. That almost happened to me. At the last split second, I shoved the stick forward, went underneath the plane, I don't know how close I came, but in my mind's eye today I can see the absolute finite detail of the riveting, the camouflage paint, the insignia and the dust pin gunner who had been firing at me as I came up the slot. As I ducked underneath, he was slumped over his gun and I shot his lower jaw away. I see that very clearly. I'll never forget it. I pulled out to the left then and climbed back up to the high perch position and made another pass. This time I came in and there was one 30 caliber firing and I thought well, I'll go out and make a head-on pass. So I charged the guns again, remember they were all manually charged, and I barreled ahead and came back head-on at the leader of the formation. I depressed the trigger and one little 30 went pop, pop, pop and then I went right over the top and I had him dead to rights - if my 50's had only been firing. Then I pulled out and barreled ahead again, recharged the guns, made another head-on pass and the little 30 caliber in the wing, the left wing, had stopped firing, so I thought, well to hell with it, I might as well go back to Kunming. The formation had flown up from French IndoChina. They followed the railroad up and it ended 50 miles - it turned 50 miles east of Kunming and then came in due west. Well I presumed, when I decided to go back to Kunming, that they would turn and head immediately for Haiphong, where they were based across the China border in northern Indo-China, so I flew alongside to get their heading and then I turned and flew a reciprocal of that expecting to see that big, beautiful Kunming Lake and no difficulty at all in finding my way home. Well, �remember that they were 60 miles east and then they had turned south to Haiphong. The reciprocal I flew, put me 70 to 100 miles east of Kunming and that's how I "got lost", I just ran out of fuel. That was also another - that was really a scary time because in trying to find these glossy, slick supposed maps, I was looking for an auxiliary field that was shown on these supposedly maps which pointed these out. Well I felt that I knew where I was and I went down this valley (break) ED RECTOR: I was in this curve of pursuit, which is a typical fighter attack, where you are a beam of the airplane that you're shooting at. I started curve of pursuit, started shooting at 45 degrees angle off and continued to fire until I was within 100 yards of the bomber and going right up his tail. That was a five to seven second burst of fire or longer and I got target fixation. I'd been told about target fixation and this is when a pilot becomes fascinated with the target and literally flies into it. I almost did that. At the last moment, as I came up astern, right up his tail with the rear dust pin gunner firing at me, at the last split second I shoved the stick forward, went underneath the bomber - I don't know how close I came - but in my mind's eye today I can see the rivets, the camouflage, and the detail including the rear gunner with his lower jaw completely shot away and sagging drooped over his gun. I pulled out to the left having missed the plane and pulled back up to the high perch position, made another run just like the first and only one little 30 caliber was firing in my left wing and then I pulled back up again to the high perch position and again I looked back at that maelstrom of my colleagues that were firing and falling back, and I said I don't want any more of that, so I said I'll go out forward and make a head-on attack. So I fire balled it, moved out in front of the bomber and turned around and I recharged all of the guns, the 50's that are synchronized firing through the prop - the four 50's, two on either wing and had the leader dead in my sights and I started shooting quite a distance away and the one little 30 caliber continued to go pop, pop, pop and I pulled up off the top, turned around, fire balled �it and moved out ahead again, recharged all the guns and came back for another head-on pass and even the little 30 caliber had stopped firing and I said well I might as well go home. I flew alongside the bomber formation, took their heading, turned to fly the reciprocal of that heading, which would take me back to Kunming and I couldn't miss the big expanse of Kunming Lake and in taking this reciprocal heading, I had not taken into account that the bombers - I would have thought and I would have headed straight for home - but instead they had followed the railroad up from Haiphong, 50 miles east of Kunming and then followed the railroad straight into Kunming, that's the way they were turned. So picture if you will, me taking a reciprocal of these bombers that were 60 miles east of Kunming when they made their turn, and in the fighting I didn't know that they had turned - you're not aware of that - and so instead of coming back to Kunming, I was 70 miles off course and that's why I eventually was lost and was running out of fuel and why I ended up 1/3 of the way to Chongqing at a little village called Suning. Well in reaching this place, being a Navy pilot I know how to search because when you're at sea, you're more appreciative of navigation - you don't do pilotage at sea, you do dead reckoning and the whole bit, and you know how to do a square search and I broke out my little chart, which was a glossy, slick map - a picture that had the location of alternate airfields around Kunming and I thought that I had determined where I was and I said well if I follow this road I will get to this alternate airfield. I followed that road and I was in sunlight, but the road led into a shallow valley and that valley suddenly ended up in a river bed with sheer cliffs going up on either side and I'm underneath a 400 foot overcast by this time and I'm pulling 40 and 60 degree turns to stay in the river canyon, and the canyon narrows more and one time I made a 90 degree turn and I said well listen it's just a matter of time until I crash into one of these canyon walls on either side. Ahead of me I saw a straight of about two miles, and with that I pushed full power on, pulled that P-40 back and at 130 miles an hour started climbing into the overcast. It was a terrible, terrible period. I fully expected any instant to go crashing into a mountain. �I climbed and climbed what seemed to be an eternity. Then it started getting light above me and only then did I dare hope that I would live and suddenly I broke out into beautiful, bright sunlight. I let out a shout of glee, did a 180 and headed straight back to the cleared area that I had flown over and by this time my red light, fuel warning light is on. I go back to a village that I recognized and I drug this field and saw that there was an open area under cultivation that I could land on. I put the flaps down, left the wheels up, came around for a landing, and just before I touched down - being an old carrier pilot I triggered in on the prop - then I chopped the throttle and at the same time reached and turned the switch of to prevent a fire, and I skidded to a halt and made sure that everything was off. Then I looked up the hill toward the village and here is an army of people. It looked like a waterfall coming down the hill, two little positions, that they just flowed toward me. I reached in and grabbed my 45 and I got on the other side of the crowd approaching and I crouched down below the cockpit and I had my pistol ready - and then I thought, Rector this is stupid. What are you going to do? And I didn't know where I was. I didn't know whether I was in China or Jap territory or what. So I put the pistol back in my pocket, slid over the fuselage facing them and I just stood up like this when they arrived, waiting to see what would happen. And of course they were friendly and I found a lad who spoke English - or he found me and in halting English we conversed and I told him who I was and they took me in town for a very fine luncheon and I had to tell them some stories on what had happened. They had heard the planes overhead and had for many years. Most times they were Japanese planes. Chennault had told us that any time you go down, be sure you retrieve the guns and any ammo, and that particularly. So I got a garage mechanic - I got two of them from in town through the interpreter and we dismantled the six guns and the ammo and I took some of the communications equipment and we put all that in the bed of a truck and I overnighted there. The next day we drove most of the day and we arrived at one of the four quadrant headquarters of the ground observer net, that I told you about. There, was one of my �colleagues, the radio operator and I overnighted with him and got a message in to the old man that - the Colonel - that I was okay. Then the next day I proceeded on to Kunming. The General said Chennault called me over to his headquarters and said "Well what happened?" I repeated the story that I've just told you and he said "Well Eddie, I'm glad you're alive and that you're back, but you should have stayed in there when your guns stopped firing." I said "What for sir?" He says "to draw fire so the rest of the boys could get their shots in." I left there shaking my head and said "What a man!" FRANK BORING: What was the reaction… particularly if Tex was involved here, if he's part of the story at all? (break) ED RECTOR: I reported to my squadron, the Second Squadron to Jack Newkirk, the Squadron Commander and he had me tell the story and I did and Newkirk said "Well I think he's right, I know he shot that first airplane down." So that's it. He said "By the way, the boss wants to see you." And that's when I went over to see Chennault. But obviously my squadron mates were glad to see me back and they already knew that I was safe and they said "how was it? What was it like?" and so I had to tell them the story again. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v07 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 7 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector describes in detail his first combat with the Japanese pilots and what it was like being in the curve of pursuit. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7c0149980bb7e58916ceca1fc3fa91ef.mp4 970372b45528d975b1c44625b2449038 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b2eb8a24733b2141daea353eabe30290.pdf 7f300b16c7341d0ba2f19200e596b9ae PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 8] ED RECTOR: After our fight on December 20th, on December 25th and December 27th, the Third Squadron had their marvelous two days over Rangoon and after that effort they were a bit spent. So the Second Squadron, my squadron was chosen to relieve them in Rangoon. So we left for Rangoon and I flew down on the Transport to Lashio because I was proceeding on the ground and were off loaded at Lashio. The other guys flew the planes down. They stopped at Lashio to refuel and proceed on to Rangoon. Lashio, which is the rail head of the Burma Railroad. I rode the train from there all the way to Rangoon and arrived about 10 o'clock in the morning and I must say that I had visions of being strafed - at least I was thinking ahead - and I thought my God!, I don't want to come this far and get killed by being strafed on a train and I was looking left and right and ready to leap or do whatever I might be able to do if the Japanese caught the train approaching Rangoon. So I was very alert. But I arrived and we were billeted - I joined the rest of the squadron - and we were billeted on the airdrome, or adjacent to the airdrome in RAF barracks, officer's quarters. The Japanese were making desultory, single and double and triple bombing raids at night to disturb us, all hours of the night and we couldn't get any sleep. So our Skipper, Jack Newkirk, went into town and he found out that we could get billeted in town. And all of us, except one or two of the �pilots, were billeted around town with the colonial British. Seven of us were billeted in the Burma Oil Company compound. Now these are beautiful colonial homes, beautifully appointed and staffed and we deployed our aircraft at night, by the way, 20 to 30 miles out of town - 15 miles - into what is dry pans. And they were named by British-Scotch names - Johnny Walker, Johnny Red Label and Black Label. So we had 3 of these places and we disbursed them, just left the airplanes out and the next morning we went out by British lorry - and the lorries picked us up incidentally in the evening to bring us into town. So picture if you will, the first day that - or the third day that we've disbursed the aircraft, the lorry, instead of taking us back to our billets adjacent to the airfield, took us into this marvelous, big, spacious compound, it was 9 o'clock at night, and Bert Christman and I were roommates, they'd billeted us together. Remember we were squadron mates in the Navy, Tex and Crix and myself on old Scouting 41. So we get out with our kit and we're in our flying suits and we go up to the blackout curtain and knock and just as we stepped up to the threshold of the door and were going to knock, the blackout curtain is pulled aside like this, and a servant said "come right in." We stepped inside and looked around at this beautiful, beautiful home and then he turned and picked up a tray and he said "would you gentlemen prefer or would you like a little refreshment?" And there were two double scotches and soda on the tray. We said "Yes!" So we had a marvelous drink there and were seated in the hallway - we weren't seated, we were still standing there, sipping or drink. Then we heard this feminine voice coming down a curved stairway and we looked up and here is this beautiful vision of a woman in a long gown, coming down the stairs and saying "Gentlemen, welcome, thank you" and she came on down. What a beautiful lovely lady. I'll tell you more about her later. She came down and her name was Joan Rigg, and we were in the home of Basil Rigg, who was an executive with the Burma Oil Company. This lovely creature came down and she was apologizing, shaking hands, saying welcome and saying "thank you for what you did on December 25th and 27th and thank you so very much. But I must �make one apology, Gentlemen, after the bombings on the 25th and 27th, the servants were scared and they ran like the devil, they fled, and we're making do with just five." So Basil, who was doing his fire marshall duty, he came in with his hat on and we said hello, and we sat down in the living room - and we went up and showered and got into informal dress and came back down, had another drink and then we had dinner about 10 o'clock. The Brit's, you know, in colonial fashion, they never dine before 9 or 10 and this evening it was at least 10. We stayed there and what a joy it was to be in that beautiful home. Every morning we were picked up at 4 o'clock by a British lorry and out to retrieve our aircraft and then back again. That went on until we lost Crix and that was in combat over Mingaladon. FRANK BORING: If you would - I realize this may be painful, but if we could go into that day that that happened and your reaction and the impact it had on the squadron? ED RECTOR: Crix and I being roommates traveled together, of course, and being in the same squadron, he was senior to me by a couple of years and he was the Flight Leader on 1 o'clock one afternoon when we're standing alert under the Japanese force approaching from the northwest. Recall that the Brit's had radar; it was rudimentary, but nevertheless, effective. They could tell you many unfriendliness, many unknowns approaching from the northeast. They couldn't give you chapter and verse in vectoring, but they could tell you that unknown planes were on their screen. On the day that we lost Crix, I was flying his wing and we took off and his radio communications was a little Victorian thing that you wind like this and it was far less than adequate. Well he pointed that he could not hear and he said "you take the lead" because I'm talking to the controller. So he slid over on my wing and I took the lead and we climbed at max power and max rate to the northeast. (break) �ED RECTOR: I was flying Bert's wing when we were launched to meet this oncoming unknowns from the northeast. We took off in formation and Bert, after we lifted off pointed to his headset to indicate that he was not receiving instruction from the controller who was at the radar site and he pointed to me to take over. With that he slid over and got on my wing and continued to climb at max power and max rate of climb to the northeast. We continued to climb until we got up to 14,000 feet or thereabouts, still all out and I looked up ahead and here is a formation of massive aircraft. I didn't know how many until I got right to them and I got up just about level??? And I sighted them, then I continued climbing as they approached directly from a distance. We had about 5 to 700 feet of altitude on them when we got up to them. Remember we were approaching like this - and the formation consisted of 27 fixed wing dive bombers, in a beautiful parade formation and aft of them about 2 miles was their fighter escort. Crix and I were all alone; we were the first to contact. Well I got on the horn and announced that I had found them for the others, who were patrolling in other areas, and then I headed for the bombers and Crix was on my wing and I thought well we can get in one good pass before those fighters get up close and we have to tangle with them. So I made a pass over that formation and I didn't fire at one plane, I just hosed the whole formation because they were in close and pulled up immediately to height and turned to come back and I was into the escort fighters by this time, and the formation is continuing and I never determined whether we had knocked one down or not. It was again a maelstrom of activity. I had to dive out and then climb back again and the fight was going on and you'd see the fighters and they were all over. By this time our other - our boys had caught up, so it is one big whirl of activity. The bombers never did get to the they didn't drop their bombs on the airfield and they disappeared and went home and we were all busy with the fighters. We returned and landed and were debriefed and Crix had not landed and I of course, because we were roommates and he was a very dear friend, I pieced this all together to find out just what had happened. He had been hit and had bailed out and the people on �the ground, the Burmese - this is 20 miles from the airfield to the northeast - they confirmed that his chute had opened and he was descending and that he had been strafed in his chute while descending and… (break) ED RECTOR: As we headed in to the bomber formation, I could see the fighter escort in the back and there had to have been some 18 to 28 fighters as their escort. (break) ED RECTOR: We made our first pass from about 5 to 700 feet above the dive bomber formation, tight parade formation and remember they had rear gunners shooting at us and I raked the whole formation, didn't aim at one plane, pulled around in a very tight turn and I could see Crix's fire going by me to the right as he made a pass. Then I turned immediately because I knew we would be engaged by the fighters and I turned and headed straight for them and shooting at the first fighter I saw, heading for me, and after that we became separated. I didn't see Crix again. I don't know what caused the operation or whether he was with me or whether one of the rear gunners might have nicked him, or what happened. We continued and we were joined by some 8 or 10 of our P-40's by this time, as I had called attention to as to where the fight was taking place, and it was a whirling mass of activity there and I had to dive out at least twice. The bombers did not drop their bombs on the airfield. They had turned while we were engaged with the fighters and got back to Thailand from whence they came. We had a good dog fight and forget what our claims were on that day, but we landed all but Crix. Later that afternoon, we wondered what had happened. The word came in and his body, which the natives had brought in, and they related this story, that Crix was coming down by parachute and that the Japanese fighters attacked him and just laced him up and down, his body was full of bullet holes, one through the base �of his skull. So that was how he was delivered and that was the explanation of how he died. This was not traumatic - but he was one of my best friends and my roommate and I lost him and I dearly loved that guy, because he was such a fine gentleman. Everyone in the AVG loved this guy. To give you a little background on him, he was an artist. He drew strips - you're too young to remember - but there was an adventure strip called "Scorchy Smith". He drew this for two years for whatever the syndicate was that produced it and then he decided that he would get enough experience in aviation to eventually arrive at the day where he could draw his own strip and that's why he applied for and took flight training and had been in the squadron in the Navy bombing for what later became Scouting 41, when I arrived. He had been there 2 years. He was an old Ensign. So that's how our friendship started. So here he is and he had already started drawing his strip, by the way, to get the background, because back in Norfolk we would go out and raise hell on weekends or at night, and Crix would be there at his drawing board like artists have at a slant, putting down ideas. He was an excellent artist. He helped very much in terms of drawing our insignia, not only for our squadron but for the First Squadron and the Third Squadron. Disbursed the airplane that night and I went back to my billet and the Rigg's were as crushed as I was because they'd already grown so fond of us, the two of us, but Crix in particular and Joan tried that night to be as helpful as she could and I was somber, I'm sure it was apparent. But she was just as grief stricken as I was. So two days later, there was a funeral in the local Christian cemetery. By this time Crix and I had met a couple of lovely ladies and we'd dated them and they were there for the funeral, plus parts of their family and others, so Tex, myself and well most of the whole squadron - I think we left only 2 or 4 guys to stand alert - and the service was about 4 in the afternoon, and it was a beautifully done service. Incidentally, I went back to Burma six or eight years ago seven years ago to be exact - and I went by to try to find that graveyard and I found it, but it had grown up. There were trees that were 50 and 70 feet tall. It had not been kept up and there was no �way I could find his grave, look though I did. I went to the authorities and they had no record at all and that was a disappointment. I had visions when I went back there to see a beautifully marked grave and I had a camera, I was going to take pictures and bring them back to our organization and just as a keepsake and a memento for me. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v08 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 8 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector describes the day the AVG lost Bert Christman (also known as "Crix") and his memory of the funeral, in addition to his return trip to Burma in search of his grave. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0c1edabc15b7fe112dfcebee37e28b90.mp4 902fd067dacd9517c01df93fd053599c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4223be2f89067f9c88df5e743ef650b9.pdf 11408067021f7ceaf0d229405c3136e2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Special Collections & University Archives RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewer: Frank Boring Interviewee: Edward “Ed” F. Rector Date of interview: May 16, 1991 Transcriber: Frank Boring [TAPE 9] ED RECTOR: Our operations, during the rest of our stay, the Second Squadron, before we were relieved by the First, was - call them routine although they were anything but that. They consisted of being up on alert and interspersed with that, mostly in the mornings were raids over Thailand, Mae Sot particularly, that was a little grass field just over the Burma border into Thailand. We raided it plus a couple of other airfields. Tack, that later became Toplee [?] in the Vietnam War. I recall one mission that was unique because we flat out caught them by surprise. They were playing volley ball when we swoop in and start raking their airplanes on the ground. Other times we were caught - our guys - when my colleague, Charlie Mott, was shot down and became a POW. They were ready with ground fire and also with an airborne alert. So we were lucky at times and other times we met opposition and that was interspersed with alerts when the Japs would come over. I recall one instance when the Japs came over with a formation of seven bombers in a beautiful Vee, and again, my airplane is on the ground and it's being repaired, the plugs were being changed. Our Line Chief was a guy by the name of Fox, what a gem amongst a coterie of gems and I recall saying to Fox - Harry Fox - I said "hurry up Harry, hurry, hurry" and he's cranking trying to get the plugs in and the cowling back on and I'm standing down there and I look up there and finally these bombers - I can see them, right in beautiful �formation and the guys are having at them and only four of the bombers got over the field. (break) ED RECTOR: I look up at 45 degrees and here's this formation and they started out as seven, four of them got over the airfield but at 45 degrees, there were five of them in formation, Harry Fox is trying to change the plugs on my P-40 and I'm saying "Hurry, hurry, Harry" and finally when they got to 45 degrees, I knew that we couldn't make it and I said "I'm heading the slit trench" and Harry looked up from his stand and he looked up at the bombers and he took one more turn and I'm cowering in the slit trench and he's up there on this platform, and he looks up at the bombers and they're at 60 degrees now approaching 70, and he takes his tool and he looks up at them and he throws this wrench at them "You sons of bitches" and he gets off the stand and comes and jumps in the slit trench - he doesn't jump in the slit trench with me, but he just hunkers down, still cursing, and they dropped their bombs and our boys had dropped another one of them and the three of them turned away and they never got 10 miles away until the Brit's and our boys finished off the total of the seven. FRANK BORING: Right after this… (break) ED RECTOR: Eventually the Second Squadron was a bit beaten up and Chennault said… (break) ED RECTOR: (break) Chennault determined that we needed a rest. �ED RECTOR: The Second Squadron had been in Rangoon for nigh onto two months and Chennault decided that we were a bit beaten up and that our planes needed detailed maintenance and that the pilots and the ground crew were due a respite. So he sent the First Squadron down to relieve us and from there the Second Squadron proceeded back to Kunming. The First Squadron stayed for another two or three months and they retreated after the Japs had moved on to Rangoon and they moved up to a place - the oil fields in Burma about 40 miles northwest of Rangoon and then from there eventually on back into China also. FRANK BORING: What was your activity like with the Second Squadron at this time? ED RECTOR: The Second Squadron, after moving back to Kunming, we resumed raids over French Indo-China. We took the offensive, and soon after that we were disbursed further east in several locations. And as the First Squadron was brought back also, we were sent back initially to Loiwing and to Lashio on special missions. One of those missions happened to have been to go to Hayho [?], where we overnighted and that's where we lost Newkirk, when we raided Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. We did that from the southwest corner of Hunan Province at Loiwing. Then after that series of operations and we were pushed out of Loiwing and the Japanese approached all the way to the river, we pulled all the way back to Kunming and then started our operations eastward to other bases and throughout eastern China - not throughout but up all the way to Hankow and south toward Canton. FRANK BORING: Is this the same period of time that Black Mack McGarry was shot down or is this much later? ED RECTOR: It was during this period. FRANK BORING: Okay, if you could give us some idea - were you there at that time? �ED RECTOR: Yeah. When we pulled this raid, we had maneuvered 1500 - 1200 miles in order to pull off this raid in Chiang Mai and Chiang Drai and we arrived at Hayho [?] with 12 or 14 aircraft, but the [?] pilots that were to replace us also came in. FRANK BORING: Did you have any comments or reactions about… ED RECTOR: I've got a good story to tell you about that change-over. FRANK BORING: Good. ED RECTOR: By the time the AVG was fully withdrawn from Burma and we were back in China, Chennault - he didn't concoct - because as a thinking tactician he had this plan. He knew that in northern Thailand at Chiang Mai and Chiang Drai, it was within our range, there were hundreds of Japanese aircraft, up to 200 aircraft. He concocted or planned this assault on those two bases by having us fly from Kunming - and remember this is a free-staging area to do what he wanted to do, to catch them off guard. We flew from Kunming back to Loiwing and refueled from there and then we went into one of those auxiliary fields that I mentioned earlier, it’s called Hayho and it's in eastern Burma. Right up - not next to, but fairly close to the Thai border. We flew in there at dusk and then we spent the next three hour - four hours really - shammying. Now shammying is to take a shammy and - there had been pre-placed fuel up there - but you doesn’t take fuel directly from the barrel we always did - even in China - we shammied all fuel that went into a plane. So we sat there and shammied fuel out of 5 gallon cans - these were 5 gallon can and so we were fully loaded and then we went to bed about 11 o'clock at night, tired as hell and we either 14 or 16 airplanes - I think it was 14. We were divided and briefed. Some of us would go to Chiang Mai and some would go to Chiang Drai - which is about 50 miles north of Chiang Mai. We overnighted, got up real early and went out and took off literally it wasn't even quite dawn. We had headlights down at the far end of the runway to get airborne. We got airborne and headed out part of �the way and the people led by Newkirk that went to Chiang Drai, headed up in their direction and Bob Neale, who was leading the element or the 8 planes that I was with, headed for Chiang Mai. It was hazy, visibility was just terrible and with the sun coming up and with all that haze, it wasn't possible to identify anything. We couldn't find a landmark at all and we proceeded time and distance, old Navy tradition and I see some mountains sticking up from here and there and we go straight ahead, and Bob Neale, is weaving back and forth, trying to wonder where the hell we are and we looked - and we were all searching - I think Bob was just about to turn around and go back, and with that, Charlie Bond flew by him, rocked his wings and in effect said "follow me". And here is an ice-cream coned hill sticking up like this, beautifully round and pointed, Charlie had been there on a reconnaissance and he recognized that. We went screaming down around that damned hill and headed right for the airdrome. The Japs never knew what hit them. They were warming up their airplanes and it's barely light and one of our guys took the head off of a crew chief that just stood up and looked around like this and the guy came back with the leading edge of his P-40 bloodied, he just took the guy's head off. They went up and down that line several times, those who were on the mission, and it turned out that I was assigned top cover with Black Mack McGarry with the proviso that we could - if the Japs did not have a dawn patrol and nothing happened, then we could go in and make a pass. So nothing happened and I turned and went in - I started in and I even started firing my guns and I saw a damn plane and I thought Rector you moved too fast, and I pulled up. And it wasn't a Jap, but was one of our guys and I mucked up on that one. But Mack went right on in and he was hit. The timing on this mission was very precise and exact and we had to get the hell out of there, but that was a hell of a damn take that day in terms of planes destroyed. I can't quote you the figure, but it's in the records. But we started gathering up again and Black Mack McGarry pulled up to join me and I noticed that as he pulls in to formation that there's white smoke coming from his plane and he never did get quite in formation and started circling and I rocked �my wings and I broke radio silence and said "hold it fellows" to Bob Neale. (break) ED RECTOR: Black Mack pulled up to join me and I kept waiting for him having throttled back and I looked and when he almost got in formation I saw that he was streaming white smoke. That was a bad indication because that meant that his coolant had been hit and caused that white smoke - that was always evident. We weren't in radio contact, but I started circling and I couldn't talk to him but I did call blindly to Bob Neale that we had - that Mack was hit and I started circling and then I stayed close to him and he headed for a high ridge and I could see that he wasn't going to make it, he couldn't get over it and I sort of flew top cover on him and observed him and the other guys were circling overhead. Finally he turns to parallel this ridge, this low ridge of hills and it was apparent that he would have to bail out and so he rolled the P-40 upside down, dropped out and the chute opened and he floated down and went into the trees and I continued to circle and Neale. (break) ED RECTOR: Mack's chute opened and he floated into the jungle. Bob Neale continued to circle with a couple of the other guys. I reached into my pocket on the flying suit, the bottom of the leg and I took out the map, my map of the area and I circled it with my pencil and said you are there and I could see the top of his chute in the trees, and I put the flaps down and came in with a carrier landing as well as I could and got ahead of him because I knew when I dropped the map that it would flutter, and I saw it fall and it was fairly close to his proximity, or in proximity to him and then I reached in, and of course we always carried some sort of ration with us and we did have chocolate bars that were that big and I had one in case I went down and needed a little sustenance. So I took that out and I was �quite accurate with this and Black Mack confirmed that he got that chocolate bar and I dropped it, then we went on our way. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Rector_Ed_1991-05-16_v09 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rector, Edward F. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1991-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Ed Rector interview (video and transcript, 9 of 11), 1991 Description An account of the resource Interview of Ed Rector by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. Ed Rector served as Vice Squadron Leader of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears." He joined the AVG after discharging his commission from the US Navy, and left the AVG when it was disbanded in 1942. In this tape, Rector describes the operations of the Second Squadron in Rangoon and being relieved by the First Squadron in order to return to Rangoon for repairs and respite. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (interviewer) Christopher, Frank (director) Fei Hu Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films research and production files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9de96af5c2e893a7cf3b7ba27a383af1.jpg f6ab1837ff401eb0cd5ab75fd87d4f65 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource GVSU Concert & Event Posters Subject The topic of the resource Posters Events Michigan Universities & colleges--Michigan Description An account of the resource Division of Student Services provides programs, services, and environments that enhance the personal, social, and intellectual growth of undergraduate and graduate students at the University. Events including concerts were managed by the office of Student Life. Posters for music, speakers, poetry readings and other campuswide events are included. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Division of Student Services Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/106">Student Services concerts, events, and posters files, (GV028-06)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-07-17 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV028-06 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1963 – 1981 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV028-06_trickett Title A name given to the resource Ed Trickett, April 10, 1975 Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State College Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities & colleges--Michigan Events Posters Description An account of the resource Ed Trickett, in the Grand Valley State Colleges Campus Center main lounge, April 10, 1975. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1975 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/106">Student Services concerts, events, and posters files, (GV028-06)</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b07a80591ce40d1ed7ca779d8cdc0815.pdf 0dfdb409bfd1fddc6596adffb7ec2fb9 PDF Text Text ~_e.;;_/ 'I STILLr;:1GET A THRILL' A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION HONORING THE LEGENDARY EDDIE CALHOUN NOVEMBER 12-13-14, 1993 THE DOUGLAS DUNES RESORT A WORLD CLASS JAZZ PRODUCTION 616 898-331~ HELD IN COOPERATION WITH THE SAUGATUCK/DOUGLAS VISITORS BUREAU AND THE DOUGLAS DUNES RESORT �EDDIE CALHOUN EDDIE CALHOUN, "Bass player of the Stars", was Mississippi born and grew up in Chicago playing with primitive makeshift instruments. At the age of 20, while in the service, he acquired his first bass fiddle. For the next five years he performed in England, France and at home for the U.S. Army. Shortly after being discharged, he emerged into the Chicago music scene to perform and record with Sonny Thompson, Sun Ra. , Miles Davis, Prince Cooper, Dick Davis, Ahmad Jamal, Horace Henderson, Johnnie Griffin, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vincent, Buddy Smith and Charlie Parker. One late August day in 1955, Eddie got a call from Erroll Garner, writer of "Misty", asking him to join his trio. Two weeks later, and without rehearsal, they performed in Carmel, California with drummer Denzil Best. A recording was secretly made, and to this day, "Concert By The Sea" remains the largest selling piano jazz album of all time. Eddie has been included on hundreds of recordings on a dozen record labels, such as Columbia, Phillips, Reprise, Mercury, and Polydor-to name a few, thus solidifying a career spanning five decades. Touring the world with Erroll Garner for thirteen years, brought Eddie together with renowned artists Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Harry Belafonte, Della Reese, Percy Faith, Stephan Grape/Ii, Monty Alexander, John Young, Kansas Fields, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Jackie G/eason,just to name a few. His show credits include Steve Allen, Gary Moore, Arthur Godfrey, Johnnie Carson, Jackie Gleason, The Bell Telephone Hour and an unprecedented 5 times on the Ed Sullivan Show. He then managed his own succest,ful Chicago jazz club. Now semi-retired, he is living in West Michigan. He was called to Oxford University to lecture last summer and was inducted into the prestigious Jazz Hall of Fame. He was a featured performer at the Chicago Jazz Festival in September. He appears 011 the last Sunday of every month in his home town of Baldwin/ldlewild and can be seen and heard at clubs, fundraisers and festivals throughout the area and Chicago. He is currently working on material for his own album. �p I FRIDAY NOVEMBER 12 EDDIE CALHOllN & FRIENDS CI.ASS!C, t,.,fA!NS7Rl:AM & SW!N(i EDDIE CALHOUN - BASS & voe ALS RON GETZ - GUITAR DAY HAY - PI A NO MARK BYERLY - TRUMPET & FLUGLEHORN KEITH HALL - DRUMS FLEMING WILLIAMS - voe ALS THE RON GETZ QUARTET ntST!CTIVF GW!AR O!U(i!NA!,S & STANnA!U)S RON GETZ - GUITAR MARK BYERLY - TRU\tfPET. FLUGELHORN & PERS USS ION DAVE HAY- BASS KEITH HALL - DRUMS THE MARK BYERLY TRIO CONTEMPORARY BOP & /,ATIN, ORIGINA/,S & S7ANDARJ)S MARK BYERLY - TRUMPET, FLUGELHORN & PERSUSSION DA VE HAY - KEYBOARD AND BASS KEITH HALL - DRUMS CABARET TED GAUL SOUJ PIANO & VOCAi,.\' & GUEST ARTISTS RON GETZ Ci{ 111'AR OR!(ifNA/,.\' & SJAN!)ARns & GUEST ARTISTS FLEMING WILLIAMS .JAZZ. !'Of' VO< Al..\' & GUF.ST ARTISTS �MEET THE MUSICIANS HELPING TO CELEBRATE EDDIE'S 72nd BIRTHDAY LLOYD BROWN. \Ocali sl. \\ Oil rhc llo racc Hc1gh1 Talcnr Sho11 co111pe111w11 \1/hdc he 11as complc11ng _lusdegrecinEng/isJi and Hisror:, fro 111 Aquinas College. he began l1s1cnmg 10 Rm Hamilton on the radio fk 11as strong(, cflectcd b_\ hisconccrr and soul- sound music . ThmJ..rng tl1a1 he "could sing ld,e tliat ". Lio:, d form all_, trained as a JB// and blues singer 111 Aquinas College. He worked as a me111bcr of the Six Footer S111g111g Group . 11 orkcd 1111/1 Duke f:/lrngton . toured 111th Lionel Hamptoas Big Band on the Clucago and Canadrnn tours . During the height of the ldlcn J/d. M1ch1ga11 entertainment d8\s. lie iias 85 singer and dru111mcr for many of the lloor sho11 s. There he performed 111th Dinah Wash mg ton and man_ , oth~r entcrtaine,/t past \\eckend he sang al !he 81) cc Roberson 1 nbu1c Concen 111 Kalama,...oo Current I_ , . he is In mg 111 Grand Rapids and erfo . al various clubs and fes111aJs lhrougJ10u1 Michigan p {l]]'DI e ~".·t~;it,~ -~ =-:·~(._$:',f ~ MARK BYERLY. pla~ strumpet. flugelJ1orn & percussion . I S also a composer. arranger and is kno11n as one of rl1c most inno1 ati, c ~rumpc1 pla,c" m M;ch;gan He;,' g,adua,c of We'lcrn Michigan L 111/crsuy & has gone on lo 11ork 1111h such stars as John 111 c Mathis cs ic Gore. Bobbie V1111on. George Burns The T . & . magician H . Bl , 1. • emp1a11ons llfT} ac,.;s1011c Jr After 1110\ ing lo Nc11 Yori M ' u1c Artie J toured the US . \I II· Il ,L • Shaw Orchestra tl1c H ar.. Tnbu1c Orch estra & Ira\ clcd I H • ~ •amcs groupofWcs1M · h . o onduras.Cen1raJAmcri ca1111ha ic igan musician s H h h greats as Cab CallowB\ D . L . b c as_s arcd 1/1c stage 11 llh such & ,..,,,. olhm. . . o,e •c "'"• R,duc Bc;n,h, John Fadu, ; ~,, . " _·· . .:r .--- _ - 1 - ? _--~ ' ~-- , .:r;t ___;_' [ .-- ~ ·~ . ,/ ' ") JIM COOPER. comes from the So I S -~ . h,s high school years . he pla,cd d u1 J idc of Cl11cago 11 here he \\ as ,nn d Com111uni1~ College where l;c d . rums and organ in a band ,1 ilh his b dducncc b_, the grca1 Cl1Jcago Jan performers. During lo Chick C K · isco\ercd the 1·· b H II ics . He we111 0 d I cs . d 11 10 stu .\ class,ca/ music al Thornton . orca. , c11h Jarre1t 10 name Ii c began 1cach1ng h, 11. b ' l1stc11111 cgrce III music fi N a ew He cont · d h · msc 1 · ·b JI a . d d · u· nn·c . .I rnuc is educa 11011 at M ic 1JJgan \\ ar c a Nat . rom I E onheas1em 1111·no1s A St gU o . 1·anous . \ 1 cs masters as. ire .as and st an d ards iona .\ · rfifrcr rccci \'Jng h,s d cgrcc h c perf, · at e 1111 ers,ty and finally rcccircd his Coop ndowme111 d . For The A ns gran1rs,lop . and B d G · · er ma e h,s Delman d b e orm and record "B -11 . omi around the Chicago area. He 1ras ra oodc al I\10 · c UI as lead ·h n HlJJI Shores" If ·· / In 1992 h _1 consecuri,e DougJ -S er Wll his J 99 J rec d " · a se -produced collection ofongma s , c re cased his second De/mark aJ~uma~~aluck Ja.~-L Fes1i1 als and ~~:ng Tough Town" He perfonned with Ira Sulliran ~ . ~ ; ; ; - - - - : ~ ; ; : ; : : - - - -•-M_u_r_,_,,_/c~._ _ _ Paradise Valley lBL✓. Festi,a/ with Milt Hinton. MEL DAL TON · al car be . , tenor sax. His professional music rcc:;ed gan 111 New York "here lie played and . th Paul "Huckleback" Williams and Phil A us1in · . He\\ 'rec d d . .h 115 He PCrwnned r or c With Llovd e . h · Price on all, his JJo Theater 10 The 'CC)w _ere from the Harlem s A~, Grand R . Ed Sulln ru1 Sho11 . Before mo1•Jl/l apids he 10 d N .A., With su h ure onh and South AID"'... Po11 ell cH greats as Freddie Hubbard and Spc(S . c can be th Sa1urda\ 1 h . seen and heard TuesdaJ ru I Christ\ -Ga c HJ/ton Inn in Cascade, Ml with - . 11eckJy. �SATURDAY NOVEMBER 13 THE BRLJCE EARL y QUARTET .. . S1H.AHiHt-AHL-t]) & MAfNS7i<F.Alvf l •AVORJ7f:.', BRUCE EARL y - PIANO TODD JONES-TENOR SAX MARK LADLEY-DRUMS CHARLIE HOA TS-BASS LENNY LYNN - VOCALS EDDIE CALHOUN & FRIENDS STRAIGHT-AHEAD, CLAS!)1C & STANDARDS EDDlE CALHOUN - BASS & voe ALS ' KANSAS FIELDS - DRUMS DANIEL RlCHARDSON - PIANO DONNY RODGERS - GUITAR GENE HARRIS - TENOR SAX LENNY LYINN - VOCALS KANSAS FIELDS TRADITIONAL JAZZ !)?'ANDA.RDS KANSAS FIELDS - DRUMS GENE HARRIS - TENOR SAX EDDIE CALHOUN _ BASS DONNY RODGERS - GUITAR LENNY LYNN JAZZ, POP & BLUES VOCALS DANIEL RJCHARDSON - PIANO DONNY RODGERS - GUITAR GENE HARRIS - TENOR SAX EDDIE CALHOUN - BASS KANSAS FIELDS - DRUMS CABARET DANIEL RJCU _. nin. •~SON PIANO LENNY LYNN - VOCALS & GUEST ARTISTS PATTI RICHAR POP& DS JEFF KREs:AZZ voeA.LS LER- KEYBOARD �-------~--~SUNDAY NOVEMBER 14 - THE JOHN YOUNG & EDDIE CALHOUN JAZZ ENSEMBLE ORJGJNAl,,S, & STANDARDS JOHN YOUNG - PIANO EDDIE CALHOUN - BASS MEL DAL TON - TENOR SAX JIM COOPER - VIBES KANSAS FIELDS - DRUMS LLOYD BROWN - VOCALS JIM COOPER ORIGINAL & STANDARDS JIM: COOPER - VIBES MEL DALTON-TENOR SAX RANDy MARSH - DRUMS lift RICI( lilCl(S QUINTET FUNK FLAvoRED JAZZ & BLUES RICK HICKS - GUITAR WILTON MACHEN - TENOR SAX nM: DYE- BASS J.R_ SIMM:oNs - KEYBOARD EVER£rr JOHNSON - DRUMS £ABARET LtovnBRowN VocALs JOI-IN YOUNG - PIANO EDDIE CALHOUN - BASS KANSAS FIELDS - DRUMS ~ V/Nr Y KAMALA y AG£ GUf1AR AND VOCALS & GlJEsr ARTISTS Ray Kamalay an d His Red Hot Peppers � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-DouglasDunes_0024 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993-11 Title A name given to the resource Eddie Calhoun's Birthday Celebration Description An account of the resource Program pamphlet for a birthday celebration honoring jazz musician, Eddie Calhoun, at Douglas Dunes Resort on November 12-13-14, 1993. The program includes Eddie Calhoun's biography outlining his upbringing, career in music and the Chicago music scene, and semi-retirement in Baldwin/ Idlewild, Michigan. The program also includes daily itineraries for the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday musical events in celebration of his life and career. In addition, it includes a "Meet the Musicians" section with biographies for the musicians joinging in on the celebration and accompanying photographs. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Douglas (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich) Advertising fliers Pamphlets Music festivals Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by the Saugatuck Douglas History Center as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5589d0690bf9ef506f1308a186ef4034.jpg 082fc0b94a842192af7f4c888e52387d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0122 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1950 Title A name given to the resource Eddy clan hot dog roast on the beach Description An account of the resource Photograph of the Eddy Clan on the beach in front of the Eddy cottage, with is a red building in the distance. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Outdoor recreation Families Children Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/95c4b05e0768b334a23002a26ec38a82.jpg 450f0074931d08ded2b95340c50873a1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0094 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1952 Title A name given to the resource Eddy clan photograph on the beach Description An account of the resource Group photograph of thirteen people on the beach, a mix of adults and children. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Outdoor recreation Families Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a66f07cd25d77fcf47bd13f1865f78a0.jpg 57ece59555896eeb53de7251c2683346 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/27238ca2060bbe38c7b6cd9be1ba3331.jpg b99b4ee9368657900dda9609763a6898 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0029 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1929 Title A name given to the resource Eddy girls with Sandy Description An account of the resource Photograph of Eddy girls with their great Dane, Sandy. Verso: inscription reads "Barbie, Joan, and Betsy with Sandy." Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Outdoor recreation Children Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f07ca2af07abee3c262140dcca72fc3b.jpg 78ed6fc05f52ce00b951856fa62a513a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0054 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1954 Title A name given to the resource Eddy group photograph on the beach Description An account of the resource Photograph of Arnetts, Crandells, Brighams and Plummers on the beach. Esther Eddy is holding John Crandell. Barbara Eddy is holding Andrew Plummer. Ann Brigham in the background climbing a dune with a red toy truck in her hand. While most are making eye contact with the camera a few are looking away. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Outdoor recreation Families Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ca2236ac561021d94efe29befe744338.jpg 78998c412250007d89cbc6814435971b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0104 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1958 Title A name given to the resource Eddy Sisters Description An account of the resource Photograph of sisters Barbara Paton Eddy and Esther Paton Eddy (they married brothers) by the Eddy Cottage (Ben and Esther) on Lakeshore Drive. Barbara lived across the street with her husband Raymond. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Women Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/27a34b3886915baefa59dd57a50522ea.jpg e84c4d1dccb232614bcc218c0f060d2e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0106 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1979 Title A name given to the resource Eddy sisters sunbathing on the beach Description An account of the resource Photograph of Joyce Plummer and Barbara Crandell on beach towels sunbathing. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Outdoor recreation Women Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fe33be5cb4004a04289dcbd7e1c75a1e.jpg 70acc7eba516542820076122e76429b3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b04f29a33eff294777fd09e2a8abfabe.jpg 96558ab3a21e0ccb4e892ceb8120416c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0020 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brigham, D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1917 Title A name given to the resource Eddys, Martha Siebert and Fido in a car, 1917 Description An account of the resource Scott and Lillian Eddy sit in the backseat with Martha Siebert while son Benjamin H. Eddy drives Martha's 1917 Overland. Fido sits next to Ben. convertible automobile infront of their house. Verso: inscription reads: "Backseat L(eft) to R(ight). Grandpa Eddy, Grandma Eddy, Martha Lichert. Frontseat L(eft) to R(ight). Fido-Ben. Taken in Yspilanti just before Ben went overseas in the spring of 1917." "Keep this with your other things, it's the only one I have." Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Ypsilanti (Mich.) Automobiles Postcards Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives