[guitfiddlist]

The AVG (American Volunteer Group) was not affiliated with the US Military. They were Volunteers, basically Mercenaries, as the name implies. The US was not involved in combat missions against the Japanese before Pearl Harbor.

The US was not "officially" fighting in China until after we entered the war. Here in Shanghai, the AVG is uniformly appreciated and practically worshipped. The AVG was actually an OSS (precursor to the CIA) operation, which was designed to slow the Japanese down until the US could enter the war. After Pearl Harbor, it quickly morphed into an official US Army Air Corps unit, which is where my Dad was stationed. Many of the pilots stayed - but many were just flat out mercenaries hired by the OSS - and weren't interested in the drastic wage cuts that absorption into the Army would entail.

[Dashing Dasher]

Agreed.