Flying Tigers veterans relive friendship between Chinese and American people during China tour
By Bai Ziwei, Liu Ge, Liu Lingling (Peoples Daily) 09:49, November 17, 2023
"Should old acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne..."
Accompanied by melodious accordion music, a delegation of the U.S. Flying Tigers veterans and their descendants joined teachers and students from the Kunming Foreign Language School, a "Sino-U.S. Hump Airlift Memorial School", in Kunming, southwest Chinas Yunnan province, in singing the song "Auld Lang Syne" during a visit to the school.
The song reminded Flying Tigers veteran Harry Moyer of the days when the Flying Tigers fought alongside the Chinese people against Japanese aggression and forged a deep friendship.
Members of a delegation of Flying Tigers veterans and their descendants listen to a docent telling the story behind a stone roller at the site of Chenggong Airport in Kunming, capital of southwest Chinas Yunnan province. Chenggong Airport was one of the main bases of the Flying Tigers in Kunming. During the construction of the airport, local people made tremendous efforts to level the runway with the stone roller. (Peoples Daily/Liu Lingling)
Reliving that history and seeing the smiles on students, Moyer was moved to tears by the performance of the song in the auditorium of the Kunming Foreign Language School.
The friendship did not come easily, said Moyer.
Their visit to the Kunming Foreign Language School was part of a recent China tour organized by the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation for members of the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, known as the "Flying Tigers," and their descendants.
The delegation visited Chinese cities including Beijing, southwest Chinas Chongqing municipality, Kunming, and Liuzhou city of south Chinas Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, renewing friendship between the Chinese and American people.
Moyer told Peoples Daily that Kunming was the place he looked forward to visiting the most in this tour of China.
Flying Tigers veterans and their descendants sing the song "Auld Lang Syne" with teachers and students at the Kunming Foreign Language School in Kunming, southwest Chinas Yunnan province. (Peoples Daily/Liu Lingling)
The city was where the Flying Tigers first took off to combat in China, and also the starting point and logistics hub of the famous "Hump" air route, a vital airlift route over the Himalayas and the primary way the Allies supplied China between 1942 and 1945 in World War II.
In 1942, after Japan occupied Myanmar and cut off Chinas last international connection, the Flying Tigers blazed a new air route - the "Hump" route over the Himalayas. The route was extremely difficult to fly, but the fearless and selfless members of the Flying Tigers braved all challenges and built an "air bridge" over Kunming.
Back then, people in Yunnan also overcame tremendous difficulties to provide supplies for the Flying Tigers, and did their utmost to rescue downed members of the Flying Tigers, making the legendary American Volunteer Group a symbol of mutual assistance between the Chinese and American people.
During the visit to the Kunming Foreign Language School, members of the delegation watched the musical "Green Path and Rainbow: the Story of the Flying Tigers and the Hump", which showed the Flying Tigers adventure to open the "Hump" air route. The musical was voluntarily created by locals of Kunming.
As actors playing locals gave a thumbs-up gesture and praised the bravery of members of the Flying Tigers as "ding hao" ("top-notch") in local dialect, Moyer, sitting in the audience, also raised his hands and gave a thumbs-up to the actors on stage.
The American people speak a different language from the Chinese people, but the friendship and emotions between the two peoples are connected, said Moyers granddaughter Sarah Moyer.
Deeply touched by the performance, she said she will definitely pass on this sincere friendship.
At the Kunming Flying Tigers Museum, exhibits including pilot goggles, military oil stoves, and group photos of members of Flying Tigers and Chinese soldiers and civilians evoked memories of the Flying Tigers.
Jane Bonner Scott, daughter of Flying Tigers pilot Steve Bonner, couldnt help but shed tears as she saw her fathers photos in the museum.
Her father loved China very much, according to Jane Bonner Scott, who recalled that her father, who passed away two years ago, often talked to her about China and the Chinese people.
Coming to China to visit the place where her father had fought made her think of him a lot, Jane Bonner Scott said.
The history and memories of the Flying Tigers belong not only to her and her family, but also to the people of both countries, noted Jane Bonner Scott, who added that she hopes more young people will learn about the Flying Tigers story and cherish peace and friendship.
The name "Flying Tigers" can be frequently seen along the streets of Kunming, where there are buildings, avenues, theme restaurants, among other facilities named after the Flying Tigers, which have become a vivid demonstration of the profound friendship between the Flying Tigers and the Chinese people.
Nell Calloway, granddaughter of U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault, who led the wartime Flying Tigers pilots to fight Japanese invaders in China during World War II, has visited Kunming more than once.
All the members of the Flying Tigers she knows have told her that they received warm welcome and support from the Chinese people, said Calloway, who disclosed that she was present at the opening of the Kunming Flying Tigers Museum.
During her recent visit to Kunming, Calloway expressed her heartfelt wish for the deep friendship between the Flying Tigers and the Chinese people to continue to be passed down from generation to generation, and for a continuation of the beautiful story of friendship between the American and Chinese people.
责任编辑:胡明政- 前10个月我国吸收外资9870.1亿元
- 满堂福app下载
- @青岛人,电价新规!9月1日起执行→
- 淮北市公路部门开展干线交通流量调查
- 黄龙镇:强化监管守稳食品安全防线
- 上海六成以上粮食来自江苏 “水韵苏米”香满申城
- e线问答:购二手房未满一年如何提取公积金?
- ?????????硱ֻҪ10??Ǯ??Ǯ?????Ρ?????Ȧ??ƭ˭?? ??????ǧ ??̨?????? ???????? ?????????ص???????վ
- 市民参观长江文化主题展览馆
- 兼职友帮app下载
- 淮北市猪肉价格低位运行
- 最具性价比3D打印机花落谁家?主流桌面级FDM 3D打印机横评
- 闽台茶源考察交流活动在武夷山举行
- 挺进深蓝,铁骑踏浪当先锋
- 双 11 冷启 10 天新客增量破万,快手“李家猪蹄”成熟食老字号转型新范式
- 如何挑选「审美不会过时」的实木家具?
- 华为层层“能力外溢”,让数智世界一触即达
- 实探钟薛高总部及渠道:批发价断崖式下降,“雪糕刺客”真的不香了吗
- 快讯!2023年中国龙舟公开赛总决赛在延平开赛
- 回顾抖音商城双 11,揭秘 100 多个品牌的全域爆发路径
- 勇于往矛盾里走
- 暖心冬储菜 社区显关爱
- 回顾抖音商城双 11,揭秘 100 多个品牌的全域爆发路径
- 天天王者联盟合成游戏分红
- ITSS 会议周丨新华三参编运维国标发布, 探索技术服务发展新路径
- 科技育苗助力产业振兴
- ɽ???????ؼ?ǿ??У?????Υ??????ɼල ͷ?? ??̨?????? ???????? ?????????ص???????վ
- 姑娘两脚悬空坐在绍兴一座大桥上,两名小伙冲了上去……
- 青岛新闻app全新改版 100万红包等你拿
- 马云办公室深夜发声:坚定看好阿里,仍会坚定持股
- 中国国足主场7
- 定向可转债新规出台!证监会:将持续深化并购重组市场化改革
- 潘塔纳尔系统能力落地,深度赋能开发者全面拥抱服务生态
- [ 探索] 玩文字游戏就服鹅厂!网友:缝合游戏退退退
- [ 知识] 葫芦赚app下载
- [ 探索] 上海六成以上粮食来自江苏 “水韵苏米”香满申城
- [ 热点] 淮北市猪肉价格低位运行
- [ 探索] 杜甫“诗史”绘就的文化地图
- [ 休闲] 暖心冬储菜 社区显关爱
- [ 热点] 我守护我见证 “边关军语”见证边防变迁
- [ 百科] 战略收缩?绍兴又一家供销超市门店即将关闭
- [ 百科] 广汽能源战略合作支付宝 布局车网互动生态
- [ 综合] 涉历史虚无主义有害信息举报专区