{"product_id":"u-s-wwii-army-air-force-flying-tigers-named-large-grouping-in-suit-case","title":"U.S. WWII Army Air Force Flying Tigers Named Large Grouping in Suit Case","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Items: one-of-a-kind set. Literally this comes \"straight out of the attic”! This grouping belonged to Technical Sergeant \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCLETUS J. REED, #RA-35393126\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e from Strausburg, Ohio. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, comprised pilots from the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), Navy (USN), and Marine Corps (USMC), recruited under presidential authority and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The shark-faced nose art of the Flying Tigers remains among the most recognizable image of any individual combat aircraft or combat unit of World War II.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis grouping offered in nearly perfect condition shows that the material was put away in 1971 according to the newspapers used to line the suitcase. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis grouping reflects the Military story of Cletus J. Reed of Strasburg, Ohio who joined up in 1942 and completed his basis training at Fort McClelland in Alabama. He went on to Trinidad in the British West Indies with the 889th Chemical Company, served in Augusta, Georgia and in San Antonio, Texas before shipping out to the Pacific Theater in December 1944. He arrived in Bombay, India, then onto Culcutta and through Burma to take an early convoy on the Ledo-Burma Road up to Kumming Air Base. Upon the surrender of Japan he was sent to Shanghai in China and served in the AAF Headquarters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn March 1946 he was assigned to Nanking, China where he served until he was honorably discharged from service and arrived home in Ohio by mid November 1946. He was awarded the \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBREAST ORDER OF YUN HUI\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e by the Chinese National Government led by General Chiang Chung-Cheng in December 1946.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis named grouping is comprised of the following-\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e•\tSergeant Cletus Reed's \"Ike Jacket\" displaying his Sergeant stripes on each arm, 4 overseas stripes and unit patches including the Flying Tigers to the right shoulder.\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tKhaki shirt with ruptured duck patch\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tOverseas Garrison cap\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tNeck tie\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tNamed uniform trousers\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tOriginal WW2 suitcase\u003cbr\u003e\n•\t10 x photos of his time overseas, each identified, a mix of original and copied photographs of Sergeant Cletus Reed from 1942 and 1944. \u003cbr\u003e\n•\tMultiple original and copies of various other Military documents.\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tGlazed display box is his personal book of \"Simple Chinese\" dated 1944 with foreword by General Chennault.\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tA carved ivory printing stamp (seal) depicting his name in Chinese in it's own polished ebony wood case.\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tSouvenir Chinese cigarette case with painting and SHANGHAI\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tMilitary crested Chinese lighter.\u003cbr\u003e\n•\t2 x Chinese Bank Notes dated 1944\u003cbr\u003e\n•\tDetached original unissued Flying Tigers shoulder patch (in addition to the one on tunic).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":26170409989,"sku":"ON8673","price":695.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/products\/on8673__1.jpg?v=1600854431","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/u-s-wwii-army-air-force-flying-tigers-named-large-grouping-in-suit-case","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}