LT. COL. CHARLES H. OLDER - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH CO-SIGNED BY: MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES R. BOND JR., FLT. LDR. KEN A. JERNSTEDT - HFSID 290140

FLYING TIGERS: CHARLES OLDER, CHARLES BOND and KEN JERNSTEDT
Photo montage signed by three members of the American Volunteer Group in China
Photograph signed: "Charlie Bond/AVG Flying Tigers", "Ken Jernstedt", "Chuck Older". B/w, 8x10. Photo montage with 9 images. At the urging of former US Army Air Corps captain (later General) Claire Chennault, serving as advisor the Chinese Air Force, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order (April 15, 1941) allowing reserve officers and enlisted men in the US armed forces to resign from active duty and join an American Volunteer Group to fight with the Chinese Air Force in its struggle against Japan, which had attacked China in 1937. The AVG was actually short lived, seeing its first combat on December 20, 1941 - two weeks after Pearl Harbor - and being absorbed into the US Army Air Corps on July 4, 1942. In the intervening months, the AVG, universally known as the Flying Tigers, covered itself with glory. The Flying Tigers in their P40B fighters, painted with the famous shark's teeth and eyes, destroyed a confirmed 299 Japanese planes and notched 153 more probables, losing only 10 pilots in the air, 3 more on the ground, with 3 taken prisoner, while fighting in the China-Burma-India Theater. The Flying Tigers also compelled Japan to limit its terror bombing of Chinese cities, previously almost unopposed. Many of the flyers here have recorded their command responsibilities and numbers of enemy kills. ("Ace" status accrues to any pilot with at least 5 confirmed aerial victories.) CHARLES "CHUCK" OLDER (1917-2006) earned double ace status with the AVG, later adding more kills with the US 23rdFighter Group, for a total of 18. He served throughout World War II and the Korean conflict. Appointed Los Angeles Superior Court judge by Governor Ronald Reagan in 1967, he later presided at the murder trial of Charles Manson. CHARLES "CHARLIE" BOND (1915-2009) shot down 9.5 Japanese planes while serving with the AVG, and was himself shot down twice. Later he served as personal pilot for Ambassador Averill Harriman during Harriman's wartime tenure as ambassador to the USSR. Bond commanded the 2nd Air Division in Vietnam, and retired in 1968 as commander of the 12th Air Force.  KEN JERNSTEDT (b. 1917), Flight Leader of the AVG Third Squadron, was awarded the Chinese Cloud Banner and the Distinguished Flying Cross, earning 10.5 kills for double ace status. He was a test pilot for the remainder of World War II, and then joined Coca Cola. He served for many years in the Oregon State Senate. Unknown stain at lower edge. Sticker at bottom left corner on verso. Otherwise, fine condition.