Recent comments in /f/OldSchoolCool

CrimsonKepala t1_j9dgx8u wrote

Reply to comment by cosplayernerdgirl in What do you do with photos that you don’t know who people are? More information in comments. 1940? by cosplayernerdgirl

I've become the family tree historian of the family and I found it EXTREMELY helpful to digitize all of the photos (a major task, I know) and upload them to my google photos. Google photos is really smart about face matching, even across drastic age differences, and people in photos that I didn't recognize before, I realized who they were only after the face match suggestion was made by google photos. It's not a perfect system by any means, but I have been able to identify way more people by doing this.

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NthngToSeeHere t1_j9dedq8 wrote

Reply to comment by Obetend in Found this atop an hvac duct when I moved into my new home. I wish I knew more about it, although I assume it's circa mid 1940s by Dramatic-Scratch5410

The flying tigers were Chinese Air Force. The planes had Chinese insignia. They were part of a group of squadrons known as the AVG (American Volunteer Group). When the US entered the war the AVG was disbanded and absorbed into the USAAF.

There were similar units flying for the Canadians and British. They were also disbanded and absorbed after 1941.

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Dramatic-Scratch5410 OP t1_j9ddpcu wrote

Reply to comment by Obetend in Found this atop an hvac duct when I moved into my new home. I wish I knew more about it, although I assume it's circa mid 1940s by Dramatic-Scratch5410

The 78th has a very interesting history, and upon googling, I actually saw this same picture. It's too old for it to be a random copy, so I'd assume it's owner has some connection to the unit. I'll check out that book, and in return, recommend to you "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors", possibly my most favorite WWII novel. If you enjoy books about naval warfare it's second to none.

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Obetend t1_j9dct4r wrote

Reply to comment by Dramatic-Scratch5410 in Found this atop an hvac duct when I moved into my new home. I wish I knew more about it, although I assume it's circa mid 1940s by Dramatic-Scratch5410

No problem! I just finished reading Baa Baa Black Sheep by Gregory Boyington, who himself was a Flying Tiger. According to him the Flying Tigers were a kind of “off the books” unit. No one wore rank or any insignia. They technically weren’t in China doing what they were doing (wink wink). So after seeing all the insignia on these pilots I figured something was amiss and looked closer at the nose art.

Edit: The Flying Tigers technically weren’t even in the US military

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Dramatic-Scratch5410 OP t1_j9dc63z wrote

Reply to comment by Obetend in Found this atop an hvac duct when I moved into my new home. I wish I knew more about it, although I assume it's circa mid 1940s by Dramatic-Scratch5410

Holy crap. I've looked at this picture as closely possible and I never saw that snake. Guess I need to get glasses. I'll look that unit up and see if perhaps there's a organization comprised of surviving members (although too many years may have passed). Thank you!

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