[John Richard Rossi oral history interview (Part 2 of 6)]

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[John Richard Rossi oral history interview (Part 2 of 6)]
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Title

[John Richard Rossi oral history interview (Part 2 of 6)]

Description

In this six-part oral history, fighter ace John Richard Rossi discusses his military service with the American Volunteer Group during World War II. In part two, he continues to describe his wartime experiences with the AVG’s 1st Pursuit Squadron in the China-Burma-India Theater. Topics discussed include notable missions and stories about fellow service members.

The interview is conducted by fellow fighter ace Eugene A. Valencia.

Date

1960s circa

Coverage

Extent

1 sound reel (31 min., 47 sec.) : analog ; 1/4 in

Language

Rights

Bibliographic Citation

The American Fighter Aces Association Oral Interviews/The Museum of Flight

Identifier

2002-02-13_AV_149_01
2002-02-13_AV_149_01_transcription

Interviewee

Interviewer

Biographical Text

John Richard Rossi was born on April 19, 1915 in Placerville, California. After a tour with the Merchant Marine, he joined the United States Navy Reserve and graduated from flight training in 1940. The following year, Rossi resigned his commission in order to join the newly formed American Volunteer Group in Burma. He served with the AVG’s 1st Pursuit Squadron until the group disbanded in 1942, then joined the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) as a transport pilot. By the end of the war, he had flown over 700 trips across the “Hump” between India and China. Rossi remained in China after the end of World War II, flying for Civil Air Transport and the Central Aviation Transport Corporation. In 1948, he returned to the United States and joined the Flying Tiger Line. He also served as president of the American Volunteer Group/Flying Tigers Association. Rossi retired in 1973 and passed away in 2008.

Note

This recording is presented in its original, unedited form. Please note that some interviews in this collection may contain adult language, racial slurs, and/or graphic descriptions of wartime violence.