DESCENDENT OF WWII FIGHTER PILOT WINS COVETED
FLYING TIGERS SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2024
Archer Patton Malin, a sophomore in Aviation Management at Auburn University, has received the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers Association Scholarship for the 2024 academic year, Dr. Joseph Peeden, scholarship chair for the organization, announced today.
According to Peeden, Malin accurately described the early history of the Flying Tigers during the early days of WWII, also commenting on the important role the AVG played in stopping Japanese aggression before the US formally entered the war.
“It’s worth noting that Mr. Malin is also a descendant of one of our most accomplished pilots in the Flying Tigers,” Peeden said. “Archer’s great grandfather, Frank Lawlor, recorded seven kills of enemy aircraft in combat, making him an ace.”
In Malin’s essay that earned him the $2500 award, the Auburn University sophomore said that the AVG earned an honored place in American and aviation history using special tactics tailored by Claire Lee Chennault for combat against a larger enemy force and one with better aircraft. The original 82 Flying Tiger pilots, he said, flew P40s, a fighter used by American air forces in the Pacific Theater.
Malin said the legacy of the Flying Tigers and the exploits of his great grandfather inspired him to become an Aviation Management student and pursue his pilot’s license at Auburn. He hopes when others learn about the Flying Tigers it will inspire a new generation of pilots.
In his essay, he wrote: “When we remember the Flying Tigers, we honor the bravery, innovation, fearlessness and selflessness of those who volunteered to fly in dangerous conditions. Their legacy reminds us of what can be achieved through courage, skill, commitment to something bigger than ourselves.”
Each academic year, the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers Association awards monetary scholarships to undergraduate students who develop well-researched essays that describe a facet of the missions employed by the original Flying Tigers who served during the early days of WWII. Winning essays posted on the www.flyingtigersavg.com website often describe strategies, tactics, battles or other activities of these pilots and support personnel.
The American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers Association (AVGFTA) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and educating the public about the legendary Flying Tigers who helped the Chinese government protect southern China from the Japanese. The organization comprises family-members related to and friends of the original 300 men and women who flew and maintained the P40 Tomahawk aircraft during WWII.
PURDUE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENT WINS
COVETED FLYING TIGERS SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2024
Don-Terry Veal, Jr. a graduate student in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University has received the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers Association Scholarship for the 2024 academic year, Dr. Joseph Peeden, scholarship chair for the organization, announced today.
In Veal’s essay that earned him the $2500 award for the current academic year, the Purdue graduate student said that in early 1941 the “U.S. plan was to provide pilot support by sending elite fighter pilots to help (the Chinese) fend off Japanese advances and train Chinese pilots to a level of competence where they could defend their territory without further U.S. involvement.”
He noted in his essay that the strategy was for the AVG to remain covert prior to this country’s official entry into the war, adding that the precision and tenacity of the AVG pilots were critical for their survival because of limitations on personnel and equipment. He attributed the success of the Flying Tigers to tactics developed by their leader, Col. Claire Lee Chennault, who recognized strengths and limitations of the P40 aircraft that the Flying Tigers flew.
Veal said: “However, the success of the Flying Tigers was not solely due to American efforts; Chinese military personnel and local supporters who provided technical and holistic assistance were equally crucial to the AVG’s accomplishments” of halting the Japanese advance into southern China.
According to Peeden, before entering the master’s degree program at Purdue, Veal earned an undergraduate degree in Engineering-Physics at Morgan State University in Maryland. He also got a bachelor of science degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue, and had a summer internship at The Aerospace Corporation.
Each academic year, the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers Association awards monetary scholarships to undergraduate students who develop well-researched essays that describe a facet of the missions employed by the original Flying Tigers who served during the early days of WWII.
The American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers Association (AVGFTA) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and educating the public about the legendary Flying Tigers who helped the Chinese government protect southern China from the Japanese. The organization comprises family-members related to and friends of the original 300 men and women who flew and maintained the P40 Tomahawk aircraft during WWII.