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25th Fighter Squadron (CBI)
25th Fighter Sqdn
51st Fighter Group
CBI  (1942-1945)
On the 15th of January 1941, the 25th Pursuit Squadron (Int) GHQ Air Force was activated as a squadron of the 51st Pursuit Group (Int) GHG Air Force, at Hamilton Field, California.  It's personnel were gathered from the 77th, 79th, and HQ & HQ Squadrons of the 20th Pursuit Group (F) GHQ Air Force, then located at Hamilton Field, California.
Second Lieutenant Edward J. Tolan was then assigned as the squadron’s first commanding officer and before the month was up, 35-enlisted men were assigned as its nucleus with S/Sgt McNeven appointed First Sergeant and M/Sgt Feeney as line chief.
Hamilton Field -- 1940
Over the next few months the majority of the enlisted men recently assigned or will soon be school graduates of one of the Air Corps Technical institutes.  1/Lt Paul C. Droz took command of the squadron at the end of April 1941. The following month 2/Lts Earl J. Livesey, Robert W. Ulichny and Irving W. “Pete” Boswell  were the first pilots assigned with Pete Boswell reporting a few days after the others because he was on a mission ferrying a Stearman PT-17 (pursuit trainer?) from Kansas to the west coast.
1/Lt Droz
2/Lt Livesey
2/Lt Ulchiny
2/Lt Boswell
June of 1941 was the effective date of transfer of the 25th Fighter to March Field and the first aircraft assigned was a BC-1, later to be designated AT-6.  The rest of the year was devoted to training and field encampments at that Southern California resort at Big Bear Lake along with the 16th and 26th Squadrons.  During this period personnel began returning from technical schools and additional pilots began joining the squadron as P-40s were being assigned.
Eager to have his fighter group in the thick of things, Col. Sanders volunteered his group was ready to assist in the war effort and his HVG (Homer's Volunteer Group) was indeed the first military unit and convoy shipped overseas after the outbreak of war.  The 51st embarked aboard the S.S. President Coolidge from San Francisco on the 12th of January 1942.  In its holds and the S.S. Mariposa's accompanying the convoy,  were the group's aircraft.  On board the Mariposa were members of the Hq and Headquarters Sqdn while the balance of the 51st Group personnel were aboard the Coolidge.

The 51st debarked from the Coolidge on February 2, 1942 at Melbourne, Australia and were billeted at Camp Royal Park on the north side of the city.  And abundance of Sheilas (girls) made the long voyage more acceptable, however festivities ended on the 12th as they boarded the USAT W.A. Holbrook (formerly SS President Taft) bound for Freemantle in West Australia.  More festivities were in store at Freemantle, as recently received P-40s were loaded aboard the USS Langley.  Some 25th personnel were to sail with the Langley but that order was rescinded.  The Holbrook departed on the 23rd and with other ships sailed north until the 26th when it changed course and sailed westerly while the Langley, striking out alone left the main convoy for Tjilatjap, Java.  100-miles from port, the Langley received five direct hits disabling the vessel which was subsequently sunk by accompanying navy destroyers.  And there went the 51st Fighter Group's fighters.  The Holbrook with the 51st FG personnel aboard steered for Colombo, Ceylon and thence to Karachi, India, arriving on the 12th of March.  The 51st's two month in-transit was over.
Despite the manner of accomodations, one cannot help but grow an attachment to a vessel on which they lived for nigh on to a month and it was with regret to learn of the "Coolidge" sinking off Espiritu Santo in October of '42 after striking a "friendly" mine.  Click here to explore the history of the Coolidge.
Unlike the Coolidge, the transport (click here for a history of the Holbrook)  W.A. Holbrook survived the war and continued to serve as a U.S. Army Transport in later years, having been converted to accomodate transport of military families to Far Eastern ports.  
Though there was a period of "organization," it wasn't long before the squadron got into the routine of fighting a war as depicted by the preceding pictures and a squadron insignia was designed courtesy of R.A. "Skonk" Bob McClung, appropriately named "Assam Dragon."  Click on the Assam Dragon for a bit more history.  Here's Bob on our left and also atop one of the 25th's P-40 engine painting - - you guessed it, the Assam Dragon!
Regrettably, your "webmaster" did not join the 25th Fighter till after the war ended.  Can't help it, I was too young, and so many of the chaps in the pictures are unknown to me and what follows is a "collage," a more fancy name for random collection, hodgepodge, or clutter of pictures.  In reality, that is all that is needed for those of us still around.
Click on the above "Before You Go."
Dr. Sam Bierstock and John Melnick's
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