| In Memory of: the recent loss of Tigers |
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| Recent Events of the Flying Tigers |
We are saddened to report the loss of these members
over the past few months & years:
| John Richard "Dick" Rossi | April 17, 2008 | |
| L. Paul Clouthier | October 24, 2007 | |
| David Lee "Tex" Hill | October 11, 2007 | |
| Peter Wright | June 1, 2007 | |
| Leo J. Schramm | May 11, 2007 | |
| Edgar B. McClure | April 25, 2007 | |
| Frank A. Andersen | April 16, 2007 | |
| Camille J. (Joe) Rosbert | January 7, 2007 | |
| Robert F. Layher | November 17, 2006 | |
| Charles H. Older | June 17, 2006 | |
| Keith Christensen | May 29, 2006 | |
| Allen W. Fritzke | May 26, 2006 | |
| John "Moose" Rumen | January 15, 2006 | |
| George R. Bailey | November 28, 2005 | |
| Paul J. Greene | July 2, 2005 | |
| Robert J. "Catfish" Raine | May 25, 2005 | |
| George Tyrrell | March 29, 2005 | |
| Charles D. Mott | July 29, 2004 | |
| Bill Blackburn | February 17, 2004 | |
| Irving P. Gove | September 15, 2003 | |
| Melvin Woodward | September 2, 2003 | |
| Francis R. Doran | July 12, 2003 | |
| William H. Towery | June 8, 2003 | |
| Donald "Rode" Rodewald | September 16, 2002 | |
| Herbert Pistole | March 28, 2002 | |
| Erik Shilling | March 19, 2002 |
We extend our sympathies to their families.
San Diego North County Times.pdf
May 7-11, 2008 - AVG Reunion, San Antonio, TX
April 5, 2007 - Opening Day for the Lakeland (FL) Flying Tigers baseball team. Chuck Baisden and Frank Losonsky were honored guests.
April 26-29, 2007 - AVG Reunion, Charleston, SC.
Tex Hill honored by 8-229th Flying Tigers, at Fort Knox. (See write-up
at AVG Bulletin Board)
Row 1, l to r: Tex arriving at Fort Knox; LTs listening to Tex;
Passing the flag; With 2nd Pursuit Bravo Co.; With his Apache; Signing the
Apache.
Row 2: Flying Tigers listening to their mentor; Lunch w/ Sgt Major and OPS
officer; Putting another in the black; Tex w/ Jim Posey; Passing out awards;
LTC Hall honoring Tex.
.JPG)
May 25-29 AVG 2006 reunion, Washington, D.C. Fifteen AVG members attended. Events included participation in the wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of Claire Lee Chennault in Arlington National Cemetery.
November 11, 2005 - Dick
Rossi was inducted into the new Fallbrook, California, Aviation Hall of Fame.
Rossi-Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame photo
September, 2005 - Dick Rossi was a guest at numerous events in China which honored the Flying Tigers and other American veterans. Below, Dick is toasted by the President, Hu Jintao.
2005 China Trip
Story
China Trip Photos
July 16, 2005 - Tex Hill was the presenter of John R. Alison, at the National Aviation Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony in Dayton, Ohio.
June 9-12, 2005 - AVG reunion in Grand Rapids, MI. Twenty of the surviving 33 AVG members were present, along with family and friends. In addition to a symposium and autograph session, Tigers were interviewed by the local and area media.
CAF Wing Named in Honor of David Lee "Tex" Hill
The former Nimitz Memorial Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) was renamed the Tex Hill Wing during a ceremony at the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas, on March 25, 2005. (Ironically, Admiral Nimitz was the one who had signed his certificate when Tex graduated from naval flight training.) A large crowd, which included AVG Third Squadron Flight Leader P. J. Greene and Astronaut Gene Cernan, gathered at the Museum to see Tex receive this latest honor in a long list of accolades. Pictured on the left below during the playing of the national anthem, l. to r. are P.J. Greene, Joe Mitchell, Tex Hill, Mazie Hill, Ted Short, Lefty Gardner, Ollie Crawford, and Bob Rice.
Brig. Gen (ret) David "Tex" Hill Awarded Distinguished Service Cross
Flying Tigers Hero and Triple Ace Receives Medal 2nd Only to the Medal of Honor
After nearly 60 years of bureaucracy, General Hill received the award at a banquet in San Antonio attended by a crowd of nearly 300.
Presenting the award was retired General Henry Viccellio who told the crowd "you usually have to go out to the movies to see the good guy win in the end. But tonight. . . we are . . . honoring a man who has set the example for many of us."
The citation accompanying the DSC reads in part, ". . . while performing bomber escort duty in a P-40 aircraft over enemy held territory in the China Theater . . . Major Hill attacked superior numbers of enemy aircraft rising to intercept the U.S. B-24 bombers. Without hesitation, he turned his aircraft on its back for a high speed dive and placed his aircraft between the enemy fighters and the B-24 bombers. With Exceptional flying ability, Major Hill forced the enemy aircraft to turn from the attack and dive away. With skillful marksmanship, he destroyed one aircraft and severely damaged three others resulting in their probable destruction."
Air Classics Magazine Publishes Two-Part Article by Dick Rossi
"Rossi of the Flying Tigers", Part I, published in the July, 2002, Volume 38, Number 6 issue of Air Classics is an excellent article by the president of the Flying Tigers Association on the AVG. In usual Dick Rossi fashion, he has given an excellent accounting of the whole Group with a great many details on events of the Flying Tigers.
If that weren't enough, Part II, was published in the August 2002 issue, Volume 38, Number 7 with even more detail and photos. Excellent reading for AVG veterans, family, fans and aviation history enthusiasts. Well Done Dick!!
For those of you wanting copies of these issues here are two sources: Air Classics P.O.Box 16149, North Hollywood, CA 91615, Tel. (818)760-8983; (800)562-9182 and Curtis Circulation Company, 703 River Road, New Milford, NJ 07646, Tel. (201)634-7499
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