JENNIFER MacNEIL
Staff Writer
FALLBROOK -- Only months before the U.S. entry into World War II, a group of American pilots shipped off to the dense jungles of Burma where they would come to form one of the most successful fighter groups in military history.
Known as "The Flying Tigers," the American Volunteer Group was eventually credited with an exemplary air combat record in the early days of the war, going nose-to-nose with some of the best of Japan's aviators -- all in a time before the United States officially entered the conflict.
One of those American aviators was Fallbrook's own John Richard "Dick" Rossi.
Rossi, now 85, clearly recalls those days over Burma with relish and works to keep the memory of his unit's aerial accomplishments fresh in the minds of new generations of Americans.
To that end, Rossi appeared in a 1999 Public Broadcasting Service documentary about the contribution of the Flying Tigers to the Allied war effort.
Rossi says that he spends many days each year touring the country, attending reunions and retelling his "story" of his days with the Tigers.
Wanted a combat resume
In 1941, after qualifying as a pilot in Pensacola, Fla., Rossi was given the option of choosing a station where he would fly service planes.
"My first choice was Manilla, my second choice was down in the Panama Canal, my third choice was Hawaii. I get my papers back, and I'm staying in Pensacola," Rossi said.
Rossi soon thereafter resigned his Navy service to join the volunteer group, and transferred to Rangoon with thirty other Pensacola-based fliers.
One of the main draws, said Rossi, was that "we would have the benefit of having a resume with actual combat. First they were trying to get only P-40 Warhawk pilots, and they could only find three of them. The Navy had never even heard of a P-40."
Under the watchful eye of Claire Chenault, a retired Army Air Corps captain and air adviser to China, Rossi and the rest of the volunteers began their training in the venerable Warhawk -- in its day one of fastest, most capable fighters to take to the skies.
Doing the 'boom and zoom'
"The P-40 pilot always had an (altitude) advantage," said Russell Lee, curator of the aeronautics division of the National Air and Space Museum.
"They used what were called 'boom and zoom' tactics where they'd dive down, go through the Japanese formation of fighters and bombers, hopefully take down some airplanes, and then keep going," said Lee during an phone interview from his Washington, D.C. offices.
"Then they'd dive down and the Japanese couldn't follow them, so they'd keep their speed up, climb back up to an altitude, and repeat the process," Lee said.
Rossi recalled that Chenault was a tough but fair boss who always encouraged the group to exceed their limits. After an early attack against Japan, where the Tigers had defeated four of 10 Japanese planes and heavily damaged several others, Chenault, said Rossi, was heard to say: "Well, that's a good start, but next time, get 'em all."
When Rossi's squadron received news that Pearl Harbor had been bombed by the Japanese on Dec. 7, the intensity of the group's combat operations increased.
"On Dec. 23rd, (the Japanese) launched a real heavy attack," said Rossi. "The (Royal Air Force) and the AVG went up to fight the Japanese. We had two planes shot down, and the pilots were killed. On the 25th, they came back and started, and it lasted all day long."
Fear always present
Fear, said Rossi, was always present, and even Chenault's training couldn't quite prepare Rossi for what lay ahead.
"The first time I fired the (weapon) on a plane, it was at a target on the ground. The second time, it was at a Japanese airplane."
However, group's confidence in the far superior U.S. aircraft helped keep up Rossi's courage, he said.
"(The P-40s) could go up to 500 miles per hour in a dive"Rossi said. "If the Japanese planes did that, their wings would crumple and their rivets would pop off."
Lee said that the post-Pearl Harbor combat solidified public faith in troops overseas.
"It was just one victory after another against Japan," said Lee. "It was very important to the folks back home. They helped keep up morale." Lee said the general attitude of the American public was one of pride and admiration over what the group had accomplished.
Helped found Flying Tiger line
When the group disbanded in 1942, Rossi joined the China National Aviation Corporation, transporting supplies from India to China. At the end of the war, Rossi and fellow Flying Tiger Ace Bob Prescott formed the Flying Tiger Line, and Rossi flew as a captain for a freight line for 25 years.
The line, later distinguished by its 747 jumbo jets painted in colorful black, orange and white tiger stripes, was a founding member of what would become the overnight air freight industry. The defunct company was eventually acquired by rival Federal Express in the mid-1990s.
Vivid memories
No longer flying, Rossi's aviation career shows that he's logged more than 25,000 flight hours and has been awarded the White Cloud Banner V Grade, China Air Force Wings and the China War Memorial by the Chinese government, and two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Air Medal, two Presidential Unit Citations, a World War II Victory Medal, the Asia Pacific Campaign Medal and the Honorable Service lapel button.
Looking back over the length of his aviation career, Rossi says that it was those few short years as a member of the American Volunteer Group that stand out in his mind the most.
After all, he says, it was a chance for a young man to prove himself, to help fight against the forces of despotism and etch his name into the annals of history all at the same time.
Contact staff writer Jennifer MacNeil at (760) 739-6671 or jmacneil@nctimes.com.
4/1/01
