The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Walter Pentecost Personal Papers SDASM.SC.10196
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
July 2017
2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego 92101
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Title: Walter W. Pentecost Personal Papers
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10196
Physical Description:
.4 Cubic Feet
The material primarily relates to his days with the AVG-Flying Tigers from early 1941 through July 4, 1942, as well as later
correspondence and documents relating to AVG-Flying Tigers publications. Included are aircraft records and service logs,
maps and blueprints, newspaper clippings, photographs, and souvenirs.
The Walter W. Pentecost collection is housed in two 10-inch tall flip-top archival boxes.
Date (bulk): bulk
Abstract: The material primarily relates to his days with the AVG-Flying Tigers from early 1941 through July 4, 1942, as well as later
correspondence and documents relating to AVG-Flying Tigers publications. Included are aircraft records and service logs,
maps and blueprints, newspaper clippings, photographs, and souvenirs.
Physical Description: Description: The Walter W. Pentecost collection is housed in two 10-inch tall flip-top archival boxes.
Content notes: The material primarily relates to his days with the AVG-Flying Tigers from early 1941 through July 4, 1942,
as well as later correspondence and documents relating to AVG-Flying Tigers publications. Included are aircraft records and
service logs, maps and blueprints, newspaper clippings, photographs, and souvenirs.
Biographical / Historical
Walter W. Pentecost was one of the original American Volunteer Group-Flying Tigers in China, before the United States' involvement
in World War II. He was born in Anderson, Indiana in 1912. Upon graduating Anderson Indiana High School in 1932, Pentecost
attended Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Corporation's jet engine school on the J-75 and J-50 engines, in Hartford, Connecticut.
From 1941 to 1942, he was assigned to General Claire L. Chennault and the Flying Tigers in Rangoon, Burma. Being an aircraft
specialist, his duties included training and supervising the Chinese mechanics in the assembly of P-40 aircraft, performing
flight-test inspections, and supervising the flight test program. Pentecost acted in an operation and engineering capacity
while stationed in China. After the assembly of the P-40s, he established and managed an overhaul depot in China for P-40
aircraft that were damaged in combat.
Pentecost moved back to the United States after his duty in China, and worked as a Field Service Representative. He was employed
first with Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Co., in Buffalo, NY, from 1942 to 1943, working on the P-40 and C-46 aircraft. He was
then employed by Convair, in San Diego, CA, from 1943 to 1945, working on the BT-1, BT-15, B-24, PBY, A-31, and A-35. As
a Field Service Representative, he was involved in operations, maintenance, and the flight-testing of the various aircraft.
In 1947, he went to work for Douglas Aircraft Co., as an Experimental Mechanic. His duties included design, fabrication,
and installation of new parts on the C-74 and C-124 experimental aircraft. From 1949 to 1951, he was a Flight Inspector for
Northrop Aircraft Corp. serving as a flight test inspector on the F-89 aircraft.
From 1950 to 1959, Pentecost was again employed by Convair in San Diego, CA; this time as a Field Service Engineer. He monitored
the flight test programs of the F-102 and F-106 aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base and Holloman Air Force Base. He also monitored
the armament development program on the F-102, which consisted of launching the GAR-1 and -2 Genie missiles. He was assigned
to the Air Defense Command (ADC) in Colorado Springs, CO in charge of the F-102 and F-106 aircraft being integrated into the
ADC inventory. Pentecost also served as Assistant Office Manager of the Convair Corporate office for 1-1/2 years, where he
advised staff-level personnel and had direct contact with general officers on operations, maintenance, and combat capabilities
of the F-102 and F-106 type aircraft.
In 1959, Pentecost became Senior Engineer at Thiokol Chemical Corporation in Huntsville, AL. He was assigned to the Falcon,
Pershing, and Zeus rocket motor programs. Pentecost monitored nearly all Nike Zeus rocket motor launches at White Sands Missile
Range in New Mexico for over four years. He performed these duties until 1965.
During his various employments, Walter Pentecost always maintained a connection with his AVG-Flying Tigers days. In the later
part of his life, Pentecost continued correspondence with those people he had met in China and Burma, and pursued publications
on the Flying Tigers.
Walter Pentecost lived in Southern California until he passed away in 1991.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to research by appointment. Some restrictions may apply
Related Materials
Flying Tiger AVG Collection
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945
China Burma India Theater (CBI)
China
Japan -- History -- 1926-1945
AVG (American Volunteer Group)
Flying Tigers
Pentecost, Walter
Series I: Correspondences
Folder 1 -- Correspondence - Employment in China
Physical Description: Correspondence to/from General Chennault and others regarding employment in China, March 2, 1948 - October 27, 1948.
Folder 2 -- Letters of Recommendation
Physical Description: 1. Various typed letters of recommendation, 10/25/1934 - 11/7/1945.
Folder 3 -- Correspondence - AAHS Journal Article, AVG
Physical Description: Handwritten and typed correspondence to/from James J. Sloan, George L. Paxton, Jr., William Wagner regarding AAHS Journal
article on AVG, 1970 - 1973.
Folder 4 -- Correspondence: Walter Pentecost Personal Letters
Physical Description: Collection of handwritten and typed correspondence to and from Walter Pentecost, 4/3/1942 - 9/11/1942.
Folder 5 -- Miscellaneous Correspondence
Physical Description: 1. Handwritten letter to Walter Pentecost regarding former Flying Tiger Charles W. Sawyer, and Pentecost's response. 2. Letter
regarding use of photos for a book by Robert M. Smith on the Flying Tigers. 3. List of Flying Tiger members, deceased members,
and prisoner's of war. 4. Pamphlet for book, "A Flying Tiger's Diary," by Charles R. Bond, Jr., and Terry H. Anderson. 5. Other
miscellaneous correspondence and documents.
Folder 6 -- Museum Correspondence
Physical Description: 1. National Air and Space Museum letters. 2. San Diego Air & Space Museum letters, and donor documents. 3. Certificate, The
Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc. Friends of the United States Air Force Museum.
Folder 7 -- Interviews
Physical Description: Typed interview with Walter Pentecost, April 27, 1942, with background on personal involvement and mention of Claire Chennault.
2. Typed interview with Walter Pentecost, June 7, 1969, "The American Volunteer Group in Burma and China, 1941-1942," interview
conducted by James J. Sloan.
Folder 8 -- Vultee Aircraft, Inc. Employment Agreement
Physical Description: Employment agreement with Vultee Aircraft, Inc., January 12, 1943 (12 pages).
Folder 9 -- Employment and Military Records
Physical Description: 1. Resume of Walter W. Pentecost. 2. Selective Service Permit to Depart from the United States. 3. Thiokol Trip Logs, showing
locations and people, 1959 - 1961. 4. Miscellaneous correspondence - U.S. Military. Resume of Walter W. Pentecost. 2. Selective
Service Permit to Depart from the United States. 3. Thiokol Trip Logs, showing locations and people, 1959 - 1961. 4. Miscellaneous
correspondence - U.S. Military.
Folder 10 -- Personal Daily Calendar
Physical Description: Handwritten daily calendar mounted on board, 5/11/1941 - 12/3/1941, pilot and ship notes.
Folder 11 -- Ferry Pilot Forms - Aircraft Record of Reception
Physical Description: 1. Multiple records of reception, The Intercontinent Corporation, September 4, 1941 - November 28, 1941.
Folder 12 -- Aircraft Service Logs, Maintenance & Operational Procedures
Physical Description: 1. Three small notebooks, Walter Pentecost, Line Supervisor, Intercontinent Corp., 1941. 2. Miscellaneous maintenance and
procedures documents.
Folder 13 -- Maps and Blueprints
Physical Description: 1. Foldout color map of India and adjacent countries, 1932. 2. Black & white map mounted on canvas board of Burma. 3. Black
& white foldout map of Burma, 1941. 4. Comprehensive sketch of Loiwing and Pangkham, China. 5. Blueprint, Building Progress
Map of 1940.
Folder 1 -- News Clippings
Physical Description: 1. Miscellaneous news clippings regarding AVG-Flying Tigers and Walter Pentecost, aeronautical engineer (sleeved).
Series IV: Articles / Periodicals
Folder 2 -- Article, "Advance of the Flying Tigers"
Physical Description: 1. Article, "Advance of the Flying Tigers," Walter E. Pentecost and James J. Sloan, AAHS Journal, Summer 1970 (2 copies and
1 page proof).
Folder 3 -- Walter Pentecost Publications, AVG (#1 of 2)
Physical Description: 1. Untitled article, cover page starts, "Expansions on the first ten pages ...," author not identified (7 typed pages, 2
copies). 2. Untitled article, first page starts, "Colonel Chennault and the Chinese ...," author not identified (10 pages).
3. Script for "Double or Nothing" radio program with Walter Pentecost, by William Esty & Company, July 31, 1942 (19 pages).
4. Typewritten Service School Broadcast regarding Flying Tigers, Walter Pentecost, September 2, 1942. 5. Article, "Here Come
the Flying Tigers," Walter Pentecost, as told to Alan Hynd, Liberty magazine, July 25, 1942. 6. Manuscript draft, "Flying
Tigers," Walter Pentecost, in collaboration with Alan Hynd.
Folder 4 -- Walter Pentecost Publications, AVG (#2 of 2)
Physical Description: 1. Article, "Those Amazing Flying Tigers," Major Franklin Hibel, Air Training magazine. 2. Booklet, "Americans Valiant and
Glorious," history of Flying Tigers and pilot profiles (2 copies). 3. Article, "U.S. Tigers Claw Japs," Air Forces News Letter,
February 1942. 4. Article, "China Tiger," Colonel C. H. "Link" Laughlin, USMCR(Ret), Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Spring
1983. 5. Article, "Tiger in the Sky," Mike Minnich, Air Enthusiast, No. 4, 1970, plus letter to Walter Pentecost responding
to his protest that Minnich used his copyrighted material. 6. Fragment of article by Tye M. Lett, Jr., first page titled "We
Learned War Maintenance With The AVG." 7. Article, "Assembling and Testing P-40s in Burma," Byron A. Glover, source not listed.
8. Untitled typed 5-page article, first line reads, "Some interesting highlights ..." (2 copies) 9. Handwritten flight log.
10. Miscellaneous correspondence related to articles.
Folder 5 -- Notes for AVG Book
Physical Description: 1. Notes for possible Flying Tigers book.
Folder 6 - Photographs
Physical Description: 1. Two small black & white pictures of Walter Pentecost.
Folder 7 -- Log Book of Photo Negatives
Physical Description: 1. Walter Pentecost Picture Negative File Book.
Folder 8 -- Souvenirs
Physical Description: 1. Currency, French Indochina, Brazil, Hong Kong, India. 2. Assortment of hotel and luggage tags, Singapore, Rangoon, Brazil,
Manila, etc. 3. Stickers, Convair, 498th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Geiger Tigers. 4. Motor vehicle license, Burma, to
Walter Pentecost, 1941. 5. Greeting card, Bombay. 6. Airline ticket, Pan American Airways, Khartoum to Lagos. 7. Pass, Intercontinent
Corporation Engineer pass, Walter Pentecost. 8. Raceing program, Rangoon Turf Club. Governor’s Cup Day, season 1941-42. 9. Steamship
ticket, Matson Line, one-way 1st class, Los Angeles to Honolulu, 1941. 10. Souvenir passenger list, Matson Line, S.S. Matsonia,
1941. 11. Undated/signed flight route, on colored map of the world. 12. Form BX, “for passengers disembarking at Indian Ports
bringing in Currency Notes other than Bank of England Notes, the Import of which is restricted” in the amount of U.S. 500.
13. Anderson Public Schools Vocational Department, Pattern Making course, to Walter Pentecost, 1931. 14. Silver Wings Fraternity,
“Aviation Pathfinders” Life Member, Walter Pentecost, 1927. 15. 14th Air Force Association member in good standing certificate,
1956. 16. Colored chart, “Insignia of the U.S. Navy and related Services.”