I will never forget you

Enduring devotion to hometown

David's correspondence with Wang, then director of Huangyuan County People's Hospital, is preserved in the hospital's history exhibition hall. Several letters reveal a recurring subject: a CT scanner.

In their early letters, the two addressed each other formally as "Director Wang" and "Mr Plymire", discussing practical matters such as customs clearance. But with each of David's return visits to his hometown, the formality gradually melted away, giving rise to the warmer, more familiar terms "old friend" and "brother".

Between 1997 and 1999, David made three trips to bring the CT scanner to Huangyuan. When the hospital could not afford the 500,000 yuan ($75,000) tax bill, he rallied support to cover every penny.

The scanner enabled the hospital's first brain surgery and helped save countless lives over its 15 years of service. Today, it rests in the hospital's history exhibition hall, alongside archival records documenting its many other contributions.

"Mr Plymire did more than simply donate a few pieces of equipment. He brought us a powerful source of inspiration," said Huang Jiong, director of Huangyuan County People's Hospital, visibly moved. He noted that David has tirelessly raised funds and mobilized support over the past three decades, helping secure donations of more than 30 pieces of medical equipment, worth a total of 6 million yuan ($900,000).

"My hometown has become part of who I am. My flesh and bones are the flesh and bones of Huangyuan," David said during the video call.

Speaking about people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, David slowly switched to English: "For two generations, my family has had a deep love for the Chinese people. This love has lasted for more than 100 years, from my father and mother to me. We love the people of China just as we love our own family."

"Although I can no longer come back to visit because I am too old to travel by plane, I remember everyone. In my memories, I still walk along those streets, travel through the countryside, stand beside the rivers and talk with my friends," he said.

"I shall always remember you in this life, and I will never forget you in the next."