World War II Honoree

Theodore John 'Ted' Nickel

Hometown

Clinton, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN CHINA AND BURMA WITH THE ‘FLYING TIGERS,’ AN AMERICAN NON-MILITARY (MERCENARY) FIGHTER AIRCRAFT FORCE THAT FLEW IN CHINA WITH THE NATIONALIST CHINESE FORCES AGAINST THE JAPANESE. OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS THE AMERICAN VOLUNTEER GROUP (AVG), THE NICKNAME WAS DERIVED FROM THE TIGER SHARK FACES PAINTED ON THE NOSE OF THEIR PLANES. VOLUNTEER PILOTS AND GROUND CREW PERSONNEL WERE RECRUITED AND COULD NOT BE ACTIVE SERVING MILITARY PERSONNEL, AS THE UNITED STATES WAS NOT AT WAR WITH JAPAN WHEN THE GROUP WAS FORMED IN 1941. THE CIVILIAN VOLUNTEERS WERE ACTUALLY MADE UP OF FORMER ARMY AIR CORPS, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS PILOTS, AND GROUND SUPPORT MEMBERS. THEY WERE HIRED AND UNDER CIVIL CONTRACT, AND UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF CLAIRE CHENNAULT, A RETIRED ARMY AIR CORPS OFFICER. MEMBERS OF THE AVG BEGAN ARRIVING IN CHINA IN THE LATE SUMMER OF 1941; THEIR P-40 ‘TOMAHAWK’ FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ARRIVED IN SEPTEMBER, 1941; AND AFTER TRAINING, THE GROUP FLEW THEIR FIRST COMBAT MISSION ON DECEMBER 20, 1941. ON THAT DATE, THE AVG INFLICTED HEAVY DAMAGE ON JAPANESE BOMBER AIRCRAFT ATTACKING KUNMING, CHINA. ON DECEMBER 23, 1941, THE AVG INFLICTED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE ON JAPANESE PLANES ATTACKING RANGOON, BURMA. THE GROUP PROTECTED CHINESE CITIES IN SOUTHWEST CHINA, AND PATROLLED AND PROTECTED THE BURMA ROAD, WHICH PROVIDED A LAND ROUTE FOR ALLIED SUPPLIES INTO CHINA. AVG PILOTS WERE CREDITED WITH DESTROYING 286 JAPANESE PLANES AT THE COST OF 8 AMERICAN PILOTS KILLED, 4 PILOTS MISSING IN ACTION, AND 2 ADDITIONAL PILOTS AND 1 CREWCHIEF KILLED ON THE GROUND. THE AVG WAS DISESTABLISHED, CONTRACTS VOIDED, AND THOSE MEMBERS SELECTED FOR ENTRY INTO MILITARY SERVICE, MERGED INTO THE 14TH AIR FORCE ON JULY 4, 1942. THEY WERE FORMED AS THE CHINA AIR TASK FORCE, UNDER MAJOR GENERAL CHENNAULT. THE CAREER OF THE ‘FLYING TIGERS’ WAS BRIEF BUT COLORFUL.