Flying Tiger veterans saluted

James T. Whitehead, Jr (right), chairman of the Flying Tiger Historical Organization, discusses handout materials about the Flying Tigers with Florence Fang (left), chairwoman of the Florence Fang Family Foundation and curator of the WWII Pacific War Memorial Hall in California, and Congressman Mike Honda at a reception honoring the Flying Tigers and World War II veterans at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco on Oct 24.  Lian Zi / China Daily

The legacy of the American Flying Tigers is still strong some 70 years after their battles fighting with China against Japan during World War II.

The Chinese consulate in San Francisco held a reception on Oct 24 to salute the squadrons that flew with the Chinese Air Force against the Japanese in the 1940s. The Flying Tigers, whose planes bore distinctive shark's faces, are credited with destroying almost 300 enemy aircraft.

"As an important part of the world war against fascism, the American Volunteer Group (AVG) fought shoulder to shoulder with the Chinese military and made a brilliant achievement," said Yuan Nansheng, Chinese consul general. Yuan said the story of the squadrons "forms an important and brilliant chapter in the history of Sino-US relations".

2014 marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US, said Yuan, who believes that the two countries can carry on the Flying Tigers' legacy, which can serve as a model of a major-power relationship.

"History could be a guide for the future," said Yuan, adding that many organizations, such as the Flying Tiger Historical Organization in Groveland, California, are collecting relics about the air crews to strengthen Sino-US friendships.

Florence Fang, curator of the WWII Pacific War Memorial Hall in California, donated $175,000 to the American Flying Tiger historical organization to purchase an aircraft that once flew the Hump Route so it can be permanently displayed in Guilin Flying Tiger Heritage Park at Yangtang airport in China, which will open to the public in March 2015. The park will also feature a museum and will be situated on more than 120 acres.

Fang said one of her older brothers was a pilot who was trained in the US and served in the Chinese Air Force during WWII. He also received an award from the Flying Tigers Association, Fang said.

Fang, who was born in China, said she "really cherished" good relations between the two countries.

As a Chinese overseas community leader, Fang committed herself to the construction of the first overseas WWII Pacific War Memorial Hall in the San Francisco Bay Area and has already invited Whitehead to be honorary director of the museum.

"It is my pleasure to be here to honor the legacy of the true American heroes of the Flying Tigers who played a critical role in fostering collaboration between the US and China," said Christopher Nixon Cox, grandson of former US President Richard M. Nixon. As a teenager, he would talk to his grandfather, who helped open the dialogue between the two countries with his historic visit to China in 1972.

Cox said he was impressed when Nixon talked about the collaboration between the Chinese Air Force and the Flying Tigers and how it produced heroes on both sides.

"We should educate the world about the special friendship that the Flying Tigers started during the war," James T. Whitehead Jr., chairman of the Flying Tiger Historical Organization, said. "That could be the basis for today's relations."

He told China Daily that it is difficult for the eight Flying Tigers veterans to get together. All of them are over age 90.

Tracy Thompson shared the story of her father David Thompson, a Flying Tigers veteran, during the reception.

"After America officially entered the war, my father was based in Xi'an, China, and was shot down in July 1945," she said. "Then he was rescued by Chinese people who took care of him until the end of the war."

The experience left him with strong feelings of friendship and gratitude toward the Chinese people, she said.

California Congressman Mike Honda of the 17th District and Flying Tigers veterans including Captain Moon Fun Chin, Roy Dillion, Frank Gurney, Hank DeGraaf, Wes Arment, Max Kernaghan, Bill Behrns, George Franke and Bob Hong were invited to the event.

zilian@chinadailyusa.com