Nestled in the west of the Chinese mainland’s Hunan Province, the town of Zhijiang in Dong Autonomous County witnessed one of the most inspiring chapters of WWII: the arrival of the American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers.
At the onset of China’s total resistance against Japanese aggression after the Lugou Bridge Incident, US General Claire Lee Chennault vowed, "I'll help China as much as I can if you need." He led over 6,000 American pilots to defend China’s skies—more than 2,000 of them gave their lives in combat, and over 200 downed airmen were rescued by local residents at great personal risk.
In his memoir Way of a Fighter, Chennault reflected on these wartime rescues: "At least 95 percent of all American airmen that landed alive behind the Japanese lines were rescued and guided back to their bases by Chinese… These rescues were by far the most convincing demonstration of Chinese goodwill toward Americans."
Today, the Flying Tigers Memorial Museum stands as a living tribute to this legacy of sacrifice and solidarity. Through artifacts, personal stories, and historical records, the museum invites visitors to explore how a small town in the Chinese mainland became a symbol of enduring friendship between two nations.
Reference(s):
Flying Tigers Memorial Museum: A living tribute to China-US friendship
cgtn.com
