Flying Tigers Film

September 9, 2009 - Vision Fest Film Festival Article
Read Article written by Alan Armstrong about the public reading of his screenplay at the Vision Fest Film Festival .PDF Article

JUNE 11, 2009 - Public Reading of Preemptive Strike

There will be a public reading of my screenplay, Preemptive Strike, at the Vision Fest Film Festival in New York, Saturday, June 20, 2009, at 3:45 p.m. The reading is open to the public and free of charge. However, the location of the reading, The Cherry Pit Theater will seat only about 90 people. For that reason it is desirable to make a reservation via email: 2009Visionfest.com. The reading is expected to take approximately 2 hours, will feature approximately 30 actors and actresses, and is being directed by Ari Taub. The Cherry Pit Theater is located at 155 Bank Street, New York, NY 10014. I am extremely grateful to the Vision Fest Film Festival for the opportunity to have this public reading of my screenplay.

The Preemptive Strike screenplay is based on the life experiences of General Claire Lee Chennault and his involvement in organizing "a guerilla air corps" known today as the American Volunteer Group or Flying Tigers. Contrary to popular culture, the AVG was to be more than a fighter group to defend China from the onslaught of Japanese invaders during the Sino-Japanese War which began on July 7, 1937. Chennault intended to bomb Japan with bombers that would be operated from Chekiang Province in southeastern China, only 700 miles from the Japanese home islands. Chennault's audacious plan became officially endorsed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt who signed Joint Army/Navy Board 355 ("the Joint Board Plan") on July 23, 1941, only two days before America imposed a total trade embargo on Japan. The Preemptive Strike story underscores Chennault's struggle to organize his guerilla air corps in the jungles of Burma (a British colony) and the frustrations he experienced when the bombers promised by FDR failed to arrive by early November, as scheduled in the Joint Board Plan.

In 1991, Stone Philips of the ABC News Show 20/20 reported on the Joint Board Plan. Philips confessed, however, he did not know if the Japanese were aware of the American plan to bomb Japan. Today, we know that a Chinese national known only as "PA" betrayed the American bombing plan to the Japanese as early as May 29, 1941, months before FDR finally endorsed the Joint Board Plan. Radio messages from diplomatic offices in Japan intercepted by the American intelligence community and on file in America's National Archives confirm not only that Japan knew of the American plan, but the American intelligence community knew that Japan knew of the American plan at least six months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

It is worth noting that after the Second World War Chennault organized a company known as Civil Air Transport that supported Chiang Kai-shek during the Chinese Civil War, and, in time, performed services for the CIA. Eventually, the CIA bought Civil Air Transport and renamed it "Air America." Chennault's activities in organizing a guerilla air corps lived on as "Air America" was engaged in covert operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.

A project related to the Preemptive Strike screenplay is my book by the same title published by Lyons Press. For further information, interested parties may contact the undersigned.

October 27, 2008 - PREEMPTIVE STRIKE, WHICH RE-WRITES HISTORY ON PEARL HARBOR ATTACK, GOES ON SALE IN JAPAN IN TWO WEEKS

Preemptive Strike, which tells the story of Joint Army/Navy Board 355 (the Joint Board Plan) -- the secret American plan to bomb Japan before Pearl Harbor -- goes on sale in Japan in two weeks. The book is presently published in America by Lyons Press. The Joint Board Plan was authored by Claire Chennault, Chiang Kai-shek, and President Roosevelt's aide, Dr. Lauchlin Currie during the year before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

Forced into early retirement in 1937, Chennault answered the call to adventure becoming a soldier of fortune in the service of Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang Government as it battled invading Japanese forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Since it was apparent to Chennault that the Japanese ambitions extended to vast territories of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, he devised a plan to strike Japanese interests in China, French Indo-China and the Japanese home islands and preempt Japanese military initiatives. The plan initially was looked upon favorably by FDR and his cabinet until Chief of Staff George C. Marshall objected, ostensibly because it was too dangerous. In time, proponents for the plan prevailed. However, this did not occur before precious time was lost. Equally intriguing is the fact that the Joint Board Plan was betrayed by a member of Chiang's government known only as "PA" in a "Purple Code" message from Tokyo to Japanese headquarters in Southeast Asia that American cryptographers decoded on June 3, 1941. To be clear, the American intelligence community knew that the Japanese knew of the Joint Board Plan before the attack on Pearl Harbor. On July 23, 1941, forty-eight hours after receiving a plaintive telegram from Madame Chiang urging delivery of the American bombers, President Roosevelt finally endorsed the Joint Board Plan - a group of American airmen led by Chennault along with 100 American fighter planes already having arrived in the British colony of Burma where they could train without being harassed by the Japanese Air Force. On the same day, Roosevelt's trusted aide, Dr. Lauchlin Currie dispatched a confidential telegram to the American Embassy in Chungking relating that American bombers would be provided to China immediately. The plan envisioned American bombers ostensibly under the command of the Chinese Air Force would be launched from one or more airfields in Chekiang Province in Southeastern China-only about 700 miles from Japan. However, Lockheed Hudson bombers that were to go to the Chinese were acquired by the British and flown across the border to Canada. The net effect of political infighting and confusion was to deprive Chennault of the resources he required to strike Japan before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The book is being published in Japan by Nikkei Publications and the translator is Ko Shioya, a veteran Japanese journalist with extensive international experience.
Also, written by Atlanta aviation attorney and air show pilot, Alan Armstrong, the author of the book, a Preemptive Strike screenplay recently won first prize at the Vision Fest Film Festival in New York in the screenwriting competition. There will be a dramatic reading of the screenplay in New York next spring.
In association with the release of the book by Nikkei, Asahi Television is producing a documentary television program to be aired on December 7, 2008, dealing with the American plan to bomb Japan before Pearl Harbor. The television documentary is anticipated to include interviews of Alan Armstrong, Ko Shioya and other people familiar with the Joint Board Plan.

September 22, 2008 - Preemptive Strike Wins Vision Fest 2008 Screenwriting Competition
Alan Armstrong's PREEMPTIVE STRIKE wins the Vision Fest 2008 Best of the Feature Screenwriting Competition. The Official Press Release may be viewed HERE.

http://generalaviationnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=14794

http://www.visionfest.com/submit/screenplay/default.asp

July 3, 2008 - Alan Armstrong was a featured guest on the Gold Seal Live radio program. You can listen to his interview here:
www.goldseallive.com/armstrong01.mp3

July 2, 2008 - Alan Armstrong's novel 'Preemptive Strike' has been listed on Google's Book Search. It may be viewed HERE

November 8, 2006 - EAA to host author Alan Armstrong - Secret Plan Would Have Prevented the Attack on Pearl Harbor�

Could a plan to bomb Japan, destroy Japanese supply lines, communications, and staging areas in China have averted the horrendous and devastating attack on Pearl Harbor?

As we approach national Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7, Alan Armstrong will present a program based on his new book, Preemptive Strike.� Armstrong will present a rare view of how strong personalities shape important historical events. President Roosevelt, his cabinet and staff, together with Captain Claire Lee Chennault and representatives of the Chinese Nationalist Government worked secretly on a plan to bomb Japan before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The failure to timely implement and execute the plan had devastating consequences for America. The lessons to be learned from Preemptive Strike are relevant today as America attempts to avoid the catastrophic consequences that can befall America due to initiatives of terrorists and rogue nations with ambitions of mounting attacks on American soil.

Armstrong, a trial lawyer in Atlanta, represents clients in connection with aviation related matters, such as victims and their survivors in relation to personal injuries and wrongful deaths arising out of aviation accidents.� He also represents airmen, aircraft operators, FAA certified repair stations and other clients in aviation related matters.

The meeting and program will be held in the EAA Sport Aviation Building located at Gwinnett County Airport, Lawrenceville, Georgia this Friday, November 10 and is open to all. Come join us for this very informative program beginning at 8:00 P.M. with people gathering for some "hangar flying" around 7:30. Ample aircraft and auto parking is available. For additional information contact John Reitz: 770-476-2920 or jreitz@bigfoot.com.

September 12, 2006 - Air & Car Show Flies into Rome in October. http://209.41.184.21/partners/680/public/news746393.html

April 7, 2006 - Alan Armstrong's long awaited book 'Preemptive Strike' will be available for advanced purchase on www.preemptivestrikethebook.com in mid to late May of 2006. The official release date of the book is June 1, 2006. All copies ordered from www.preemptivestrikethebook.com will be personally signed by the author. Copies are also available in bookstores and www.Amazon.com and www.Barnesandnoble.com.

April 5, 2005 - Alan Armstrong's popular monthly FlightWatch makes its way to FlyingTigersFilm.com - Click HERE to view his latest article on "What is it like to fly the Kate?"

May 12, 2004 - This show has been postponed until August 30th at 11PM. Stay Tuned!!! On Tuesday, August 10, 2004, at 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, the television show, "Tactical to Practical" will air on the History Channel and will feature an interview of Alan Armstrong in relation to the evolution of pilots of the American Volunteer Group [more commonly known as the "Flying Tigers"] from operating fighter planes to flying transport planes for, among others, the Flying Tiger Line and Civil Air Transport (CAT). The Flying Tiger Line became the largest air freight operator in the world prior to its merger with Federal Express. CAT flew humanitarian missions in China and evolved into a para-military operator supplying Nationalist Chinese forces during the Communist Revolution. CAT had been formed by General Claire Chennault after the end of World War Two. In time, CAT was sold to the CIA and renamed "Air America." Air America engaged in clandestine operations during wars in Southeast Asia including the Vietnam War.

May 3, 2004 - On Thursday, May 6, 2004, Alan Armstrong will be interviewed in connection with the television series "Tactical to Practical" that will air on The History Channel. The interview will deal with the American Volunteer Group as a military enterprise and the subsequent formation by Bob Prescott of The Flying Tiger Line. In its day, The Flying Tiger Line was the largest air freight operator in the world. The Flying Tiger Line merged with Federal Express Corporation a number of years ago. Also, there may be some discussion of General Claire Chennault's formation with others of Civil Air Transport (CAT) which initially performed humanitarian flights in China but later assumed a paramilitary role in supplying Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Chinese troops in the civil war which resulted in the defeat of the Nationalist forces in 1949. Eventually, CAT was purchased by the CAI and renamed "Air America." The filming will be conducted by Edelman Productions of Corte Madera, California.

May 2, 2004 - Letter mailed by Art Morris III in support of Alan Armstrong's manuscript on the Flying Tigers. View the letter HERE.

March 23, 2004 - Mr. Alan Armstrong will be giving a lecture for The Atlanta World War II Round Table on June 17th at 11:30 AM at the Petite Auberge Restaurant concerning "America's Secret Plan to Bomb Japan Before the Attack on Pearl Harbor". View the letter HERE.

Endorsements

View a letter of endorsement from Edna Chennault concerning the Flying Tiger Film Project. Adobe File