Flying Tigers VS Christopher Shores?

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hi Guys

It's been a long time I read anything about the AVG, but I do have a question. If my memory doesn't play tricks with me, the AVG was supposed to come to an end and become part of the USAAF. Their members did have a choice to either stay and be transferred or back out and go home (or I suppose go wherever they wanted to go). Again from memory, quite a number stepped down and refused to join the USAAF at site. Among them was the top scorer Robert Neale. Part of his reason may have been that he was a Canadian, but he also completely vanish from sight and as far as I know did not join any other Air Force anywhere else. What ever happened to him and why did he not join let's say the RCAF or RAF. What was his motive?

What motives had all those others who refused to either join the USAAF or any other AF?

I do agree it is hard to both understand and interpret motives and very often they have to be judged by the action each individual takes. From todays standpoint it doesn't look very sympathetic to back down, especially if you want to be considered an idealist. It is easy to simply consider those who did as simple mercenaries who were in it for the money and nothing else, but that has not to be the case. Problems today is that too many individuals (who took part) and relatives also like to white wash and revise history. Usually the truth (whenever you find it) seems to end up somewhere in between....

Cheers
Stig