Following his retirement, Chennault began his stay in China, which lasted until 1945 and the end of World War II. He was offered a job by Madame Chiang Kai-Shek to survey the Chinese Air Force. This was a confidential, 3-month mission and later became Military Aviation Advisor to Chiang Kai-Shek during the Sino-Japanese War. During this time he was asked by Madame Chiang Kai-Shek to create a new Chinese Air Force molded after the United States', which he had extensive knowledge about.
In the time following his leadership of the Flying Tigers, Chennault rejoined the Army. He was reinstated in the Army as a Colonel and would head the 14th Air Force, which had adopted the Flying Tigers as an official part of the US Armed Forces. This reinstatement would lead to a promotion to Brigadier, which was later followed by Major General, a very high-ranking position. Due to the politics of being an Army Major General and disagreements with other leaders and tactics, Chennault retired from service in 1945 shortly before victory in the Pacific and the end of the war.
He became something of an entrepreneur after his retirement, returning to china to create the Civil Air Transport, later known as Air America. This group was initially used in support of Chiang Kai-Shek in his struggle against the Communists and Mao Zedong. His group went on to be used outside of China. The worked in support of the United States in the Korean War and lastly supported the French during the First Indochina War.
He was respected for all his great work before, during, and after World War II. On July 26, 1958, one day before his death, he was promoted to Lieutenant General. There is a statue of him in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan (Republic of China). In his home state of Louisiana, where he was raised, there is an Air Force base named after him in the city of Lake Charles
