Chennault: Visionary Leader of “Flying Tigers”

Claire Lee Chennault served as a major general in the United States Army Air Forces by this time in the war. Renowned as a brilliant strategist, he surmounted seemingly-impossible odds to secure victory in the skies over China against invading imperial Japanese forces. This controversial commander known as "Old Leatherface" was beloved by the men who served under him and esteemed in both the United States and China, but he often ran afoul of other military leaders who lacked confidence in his innovative ideas and who favored their own agendas. Known best for his leadership of the renowned “Flying Tigers,” he left behind an enduring legacy.