Arthur Chin 1813992 216081169 2008-05-31T00:09:47Z Hihihaha 716192 {{Infobox Military Person |name= Arthur Chin |lived= October 23, 1913 - September 3, 1997 |placeofbirth= Portland, Oregon |placeofdeath= |image= [[Image:Arthur Chin.jpg|180px]] |caption= Arthur Chin |nickname= |allegiance= Canton Provincial Air Force, [[National Revolutionary Army]] |serviceyears= |rank= Major |commands= |unit= |battles= [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] |awards= [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] |laterwork= }} Major '''Arthur Chin''' ({{zh-cp|c=陳瑞鈿|p=Chén Ruìtián}}; [[Cantonese (linguistics)|Cantonese]]: Chin Shui-Tin; [[October 23]], [[1913]] - [[September 3]], [[1997]]) was an [[United States|American]] pilot and a [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] fighter [[Flying ace|ace]]. Chin was born in [[Portland, Oregon]] to a Chinese father of [[Cantonese people|Cantonese]] origin and a Caucasian mother of [[Peruvian]] background. Motivated by the [[Mukden Incident|Japanese invasion of China]], Chin enrolled in flight school in [[1932]]. Along with 15 other [[Chinese American]]s, he left for [[China]] and joined the [[Guangdong]] Provincial Air Force as the first and original group of American volunteer combat aviators, and ultimately integrated into the [[Development of Chinese Nationalist air force (1937-1945)|central government's air force]] under the [[kuomingtang|KMT]]. After completion of additional aerial-gunnery training in [[Munich]] [[Germany]], he returned to China for combat duty in which successfully destroyed nine enemy aircraft between [[1937]]-[[1939]]. In 1939, while flying a [[Gloster Gladiator]], the fighter in which he scored most of his aerial kills, he was hit by enemy fire and forced to bail out of his burning aircraft, and although he parachuted to safety, he suffered serious burn injuries. Nevertheless, after several years of surgery and recovery, he returned to China in [[1944]] to fly supplies over the [[Himalayas]], a route known as [[The Hump|the "Hump"]]. Chin is now recognized as America's first ace in [[World War II]]. A half-century after the war ended, the U.S. government recognized Chin as an American veteran by awarding him the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]. About a month after Arthur Chin died, on [[October 4]] [[1997]], he was immortalized at the Hall of Fame of the [[American Airpower Heritage Museum]] in [[Midland, Texas|Midland]], [[Texas]] as the first American ace, and an officially recognized Chinese American World War II hero. On [[January 29]], [[2008]] Congressman, [[Member_of_Congress|Representive]] [[David Wu]] (D-[[Oregon]]) introduced House Resolution 5220 to name a [[United States Post Office]] in [[Beaverton, Oregon]] after Major Arthur Chin as the "Major Arthur Chin Post Office Building", it was unanimously approved House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. President [[George W. Bush|Bush]] signed it into law on [[May 7]], [[2008]] 。 <ref>[http://www.aapress.com/nationalnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1204849948&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1& Congress honors Chinese WWII Hero]</ref> <ref>[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-5220 GovTrack: H.R. 5220: Text of Legislation]</ref> <ref>[http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/05/20080507-2.html White House News Release]</ref> == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/china_chin.htm/ Biplane Fighter Aces: China: Major 'Arthur' 'Art' Chin Shui-Tin ] a more detailed history of his military career. *[http://www.sinoam.com/ARTHURCHIN2.htm Major Shui-Tin "Arthur" Chin "First of the Tigers" Chinese-American Hero] is another biography. *[http://www.sinoam.com/images/Arthur_chin_big.jpg Photo of Arthur Chin] *[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7279844/did/10003458 Chinese American veterans' service often gets overlooked] {{DEFAULTSORT:Chin, Arthur}} [[Category:Second Sino-Japanese War]] [[Category:Chinese World War II flying aces]] [[Category:American World War II flying aces]] [[Category:Recipients of US Distinguished Flying Cross]] [[Category:Chinese Americans]] [[Category:Peruvian-Americans]] [[Category:1913 births]] [[Category:1997 deaths]] [[Category:Republic of China Air Force]] [[Category:People from Portland, Oregon]] [[ja:アーサー・チン]] [[sl:Arthur Chin]] [[zh:陳瑞鈿]]