My friend Carl knows, through personal meetings or letters, more WW2 German Kinghts Cross winners than anyone on the planet.

I have met and got to know a few (14) German vets from WW2. I was raised and brought up by dozens of WW2 vets from both theatres.

My personal research has been towards pre WW2 Texas pilots. I have met personally only a hand ful. These men were fighter pilot officers in San Antonio, Texas before Pearl Harbor. The US government was well aware of Japanesse agression in China. In an effort to slow the Japnaesse expansion in the region and also give American pilots combat experience a very quiet arrangement was made. Active pilots in San Antonio were offered the Chinese experience. They were promised rank and title if they survived the clandesant endeavour. Quietly they resigned their US commission (With the support and backing of the US governmnet) and volunteered for China service. After the war the surviving vets recieved credit for time served in China. These mem were the first Special Forces, if killed in action, they would be denied by their own government.
Most of their kills could not be confirmed, or were not confirmed, because each one cost the short of cash Chinese government money.

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