Friendship developed over historical photos
They flew over the Himalayas during the invasion, helping deliver strategic supplies to break through the Japanese blockade.
The delegation's recent visit has rekindled the city's memories of its connection with the US Army during the war — particularly a US medical officer, his color photos and his descendants' friendship with the city and its people.
On Jan 31, 2004, an email sent from the US caught the attention of Jin Feibao, general manager of a travel agency in Kunming at the time.
The email came from a man named Gregg Millett, who expressed his desire to visit Kunming and hold a small photo exhibition there during his trip. Jin asked Millett to send him a few photos to preview.
When Jin received the photos, he was shocked. The scenes of Kunming that were depicted were clearly taken during the war.
Jin did some research and discovered that color reversal film was not available until 1942. Realizing the historical value of these old, rare photos, Jin suspected that they might be the first batch of color photos taken in Kunming. Through subsequent emails, he learned that these photos — 152 in total — were taken by Gregg Millett's father, Clinton (1910-64), who was a US army doctor stationed in Kunming between 1944 and 1945.
