Early in the war against Japan, because the US had not yet entered the war, General Chennault had to resign his military commission and go to China as a civilian to help the Republican government organize an air force.
抗日戰爭初期，由於美國並未參戰，當時官拜上校的陳納德辭去軍職，以民間身分到中國幫助國民政府組織空軍參與抗戰。