BEIJING, November 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — A recent letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping once again highlighted the historic significance of the Flying Tigers and the enduring wartime friendship between the United States and China. This historical perspective provides valuable insights into the lasting impact of this era on contemporary Sino-US relations.
Additionally, the indomitable spirit of the Flying Tigers is poised to continue to inspire future generations. It is a testament to the unwavering determination of those committed to preserving and sharing these remarkable stories. They are steadfast in their mission to ensure that the legacy of the Flying Tigers lives on and is never forgotten.
Xi recently responded to a letter from the president of the Chinese-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, Jeffrey Greene, and veterans of the Flying Tigers. Harry Moyer And Mel McMullen.
In his September 12 response, Xi said he hoped the spirit of the Flying Tigers would be carried on from generation to generation between the Chinese and American people.
“I was encouraged by the great enthusiasm of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and the Flying Tigers veterans to allow more Chinese and Americans to discover the stories of the Flying Tigers over the years. Inspired by this, a growing number of young Americans joined the Flying Tigers’ Friendship Schools and Youth Leadership Program, and nearly 500 Flying Tigers veterans and several hundred family members visited them. China. I would like to pay tribute to you for all of this,” Xi wrote.
Hello from China
In a recent in-depth Zoom interview with the Global Times, Greene said it was a “stunned moment” when he received a response from Xi in just two weeks. “We are extremely honored that President Xi thought enough about the Flying Tigers. This shows his words, his belief that China never forget your old friends.
“Having my name on a letter from the Chinese president is quite impressive. It was very humiliating for the other two writers to know that the president of China China turns to them as well as to their family members. They are so touched,” Greene said.
In his letter, Xi said that “in the past, our two peoples fought against Japanese fascists together and forged a deep friendship that has withstood the test of blood and fire. In the future, the two great countries will take on an even greater responsibility in the world. peace, stability and development.
“So we must respect each other, coexist peacefully and pursue win-win cooperation,” he said.
Noting that “in the development of China-U.S. relations, the hope lies in the people, the foundation lies among the people, and the future lies in the youth,” Xi said, “healthy and steady development of relationships in the new era requires the contribution and support of a new generation of Flying Tigers.
Recently, Greene, Moyer and McMullen jointly wrote a letter to Xi, in which they detailed the efforts of the Flying Tigers foundation and veterans to help promote China-US friendly exchanges, and expressed their willingness to inherit and perpetuate the precious spirit of China. -American cooperation.
Following Greene’s initial decision to write the letter, Harry Moyer joined in and was also shocked when he received Xi’s quick response. “For me, it was almost “Earth Shattering” that he responded so quickly and so positively – his words clearly demonstrate that China actually remembers his old friends,” Moyer told the Global Times.
Never be forgotten
The friendship between Flying Tigers veterans and the Chinese people has been inherited by the Chinese government and public over the years.
The Consulate General of China in San Francisco hosted a celebration marking the 102nd birthday of Flying Tigers veteran Harry Moyer on October 30, 2022. The video shows that the consul general of China in San Francisco, Zhang Jianmin played the harmonica with Moyer’s friends and sang “Happy Birthday.”
In ChinaThe story of the Flying Tigers is widely known and has become a fundamental part of many Chinese’s understanding of the United States.
In 1941, a group of American volunteer pilots, later known as the Flying Tigers, came to China, alongside the Chinese people to fight the invading Japanese troops. They flew over the Himalayas, helping deliver strategic supplies to break the Japanese blockade.
During their stay in Chinathe Flying Tigers collectively accomplished remarkable feats during their service, shooting down more than 2,600 Japanese military aircraft, sinking or damaging 44 enemy ships, and contributing to the disappearance of more than 60,000 Japanese troops.
Moyer joined the US Army Air Force after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He is one of the few remaining pilots from World War II and the only one still allowed to fly solo.
Moyer’s squadron joined the 23rd Fighter Group of the 14th Air Force in China in 1944 and was primarily responsible for protecting Chinese airfields and B-29 bombers responsible for counterattacks on Japan.
“We, who were the pilots, the crewmen who flew the bombers and transports, the ground crewmen who worked night and day to keep our planes flying and ready for combat, were all young men, and the time we spent helping the Chinese people defend their homeland and fight a tough and dangerous enemy was in many ways the greatest experience of our lives,” Moyer recalled.
“I was impressed by the remarkable determination of the Chinese people in their determination to resist the brutal military aggression of the Empire Japan. They suffered so much and sacrificed so much in their resistance. Our memories of China and the friendships formed among its people have remained, in many ways, the defining experience of our lives,” he said.
Founded in 1998, the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation is an American civil friendship group aimed at promoting the study and commemoration of historic Sino-American aviation events. It is an American non-governmental organization aimed at reviving the spirit of cooperation between the two peoples and strengthening their friendship and understanding.
According to Greene, the foundation received more than 1,000 photos provided by Flying Tigers veterans, which were displayed in three naval museums in the United States. It also brought 500 veterans and their family members to 25 surrounding towns. Chinareceiving a warm welcome from the local Chinese communities.
During this time, Greene’s organization secured participation from three schools in the United States and three schools in the United States. China for the Flying Tigers Friendship School and Youth Leadership Program. This initiative facilitates student exchanges between the two countries through online courses and summer camps that have hosted a total of approximately 15,000 students in the two countries, according to Greene.
Greene said many Americans know a little about what happened in China during WWII. “They watch Top Gun and Band of Brothers, knowing the European theater, Normandy, Pearl Harbor… but there’s not a lot of work on the stories in Chinalike the Nanjing Massacre,” Greene said.
“So this is the mission of my foundation, both in the United States and in China is to make people scratch their heads and say ‘tell me more,'” he said.
Transmit the spirit
History fades as the number of aging veterans gradually dwindles, but the history of the Flying Tigers remains alive and well. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of individuals and organizations, like Greene and his organization, the spirit of the Flying Tigers is poised to be passed on to the next generation of young people in both countries. China and the United States.
Soon, with the Greene Foundation, Flying Tigers veterans Moyer, who will turn 103, and McMullen, who will be 99, will embark on a journey to China during which they will help pass on the spirit of these heroic pilots to the next generation.
“If young people remember it, they can use that memory,” Greene said. “Thanks to the shared American and Chinese heritage of the Flying Tigers, the next generation of young people can do a lot. We can do a lot for the relations between our countries. So much.”
“It’s so important to China and the United States have common, strong, calm and interesting interests, which is also important for the whole world, because the relationship between China and the United States is the most important relationship on the planet. And when it works, it will work for the people of both countries and for the rest of the world,” Greene said.
Before this response letter to the Flying Tigers, Xi also responded to a letter from the American-Chinese Youth and Student Exchange Association and friends from all walks of life in New York State, in the northwest of the United States. Washingtonas well as a letter from John Easterbrookgrandson of the late American general Joseph Stilwell.
In his responses, Xi expressed hope that the people of the two countries will strengthen communication, improve understanding and expand cooperation, thereby injecting new vitality into the development of bilateral relations.
Moyer said that because of the extent of our cooperation during World War II and our ultimate success as close allies, both countries can draw strength and inspiration from remembering what our cooperation and solidarity accomplished during the darkest years of the war.
“We must maintain the link between the United States and China alive, because it was forged in blood and honor,” he said.
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SOURCE World Times
