Presented is an illustrated print of the First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force in 1941-1942, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, with the signatures of 22 members of the famed air corps. The 10x16” print on ivory paper has a black & white pencil illustration of an AVG Jeep, a Flying Tigers plane, and a plane chassis (under a tree at the right) with members of the ground crew making repairs.  The signatures are in pencil.  The signatures include:  “Bob Kelton #43” (middle right); “Dick Rossi Pilot” (middle left); “Erik Shilling Pilot” (middle left); “Ken Jernstedt #88” (bottom left); “Chuck Older Pilot” (center); “Tex Hill” (center); “Charlie Mott Pilot” (bottom right); “Robert M. Smith” (bottom right); “Bob Layker Pilot” (bottom center); and “Rich Richardson Radioman” (bottom center).  The Flying Tigers was composed of pilots from the U.S. Army Air Corps, Navy and Marine Corps recruited under President Franklin Roosevelt's authority before Pearl Harbor and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. Chennault spent the winter of 1940–1941 in Washington, supervising the purchase of 100 Curtiss P-40 fighter and the recruiting of 100 pilots and some 200 ground crew and administrative personnel that would constitute the 1st AVG. The aircraft were to fly with Chinese colors but be under American control. The mission was to bomb Japan and defend China but many delays meant they flew in combat after the US and Japan declared war. This print comes with a STICKER ONLY from PSA/DNA (U04871).

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