Carry Forward the Spirit of The Flying Tigers

September 6， 2013 marked the 120th anniversary of the birth of General Claire Lee Chennault. A meeting was held in Chengdu the following day to commemorate his contribution to the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

It was sponsored by the Sichuan Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries（SIFA） and co-hosted by the Comprehensive Science Research Center of Sichuan University and the Claire Lee Chennault Research Institute of Donghua Comprehensive Science Academy of Sichuan Province. A SIFA representative and Mr. Kelly Busby， Political Unit Chief and representative of the American Consulate General in Chengdu， addressed the meeting attended by experts， scholars and personages from various social circles.

General Chennault was a great friend of the Chinese people. Upon the outbreak of the anti-Japanese war. As chief adviser to the Chinese air force， he participated in the battles of Shanghai， Nanjing and Wuhan together with American， Chinese and Soviet pilots.

The American Volunteer Group（AVG） of the China Air Force was founded on August 1， 1941. Chennault became its leader with the rank of colonel. Later， he served as Air Commodore of the Task Team of U.S. Air Force， Major General of the US Army 14th Air Force， Chief of Staff of the China Air Force and Commander of the China-U.S. Joint Air Force.

The American team was publicly known as the “Flying Tigers”. In 1942， he took the risk to open the air route known as “The Hump” in order to transport strategic materials from southern Asian bases over the mountains to China. The U.S. lost over 1，500 aircraft and nearly 3，000 aircrew due to the complex terrain， harsh weather and Japanese attacks. The heroic spirit of General Chennault and his Flying Tigers was widely popularized among both the Chinese and the American people.

In his speech， the SIFA representative said Sichuan was China’s strategic rear against the Japanese aggression， where the Flying Tigers fought many bloody battles. In order to fight against the Japanese invaders， the U.S. Air Force established a number of bases outside Chengdu. The local people actively participated in the construction of runways under extremely hard conditions and forged a profound friendship with the American pilots. The U.S. bombers that took off from Chengdu delivered a heavy blow to the arrogant Japanese aggressors.

The renowned Flying Tigers gave strong support to Chinese people’s just war. Over the years， SIFA has been working to promote mutual understanding and friendly exchanges between the people of China and the U.S. It received General Chennault’s widow， Mrs. Anna Chan Chennault， when she visited Sichuan， and called on her in the U.S.

It invited Mr. Groper， a veteran of the Flying Tigers， to visit Chengdu on the occasion of commemorating the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. He donated Flying Tigers’ uniforms and other items to the Jianchuan Museum， six items of which were classified as grade one cultural relics by the State Bureau of Cultural Relics.

In 2008 and 2011， the SIFA cohosted activities in commemoration of General Chennault with relevant organizations of Chengdu， and， in 2012， it received the 98-year-old Hump pilot Peter Goutier and more than 10 relatives and descendants of members of the Flying Tigers.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein sent a letter， on behalf of the U.S. Senate and the State of California， to express her gratitude to the Sichuan people for their warm hospitality and their praise of the heroic deeds of the Flying Tigers.

In his speech， Consul Busby thanked the SIFA for organizing this event. He quoted the former U.S. President George Bush’s words that the tough resistance of the Flying Tigers and their courageous fight for freedom had left a legendary chapter in the U.S. military history. They had won everlasting respect from the American people and their sacrifices would never be forgotten.

It was because of the participation of General Chennault， the Flying Tigers and many other courageous Chinese and American soldiers that victory was achieved. Chennault’s experience told people that cooperation between the U.S.， China， and other friendly nations could overcome huge challenges.

Mrs. Nell Calloway， granddaughter of General Chennault and Curator of the Memorial Museum of General Claire Lee Chennault in the U.S.， sent a message to the meeting to express her thanks， saying that her grandfather would have felt deeply gratified that the Chinese people did not forget his dedication to the great cause， and that it was his sincere wish to see this historic moment become a foundation for the building of a bright future between China and America.

The participants， including professors and scholars from Sichuan University， Chengdu Normal College and Sichuan Media College， as well as personages from various social circles， recalled the legendary experience of General Chennault and spoke highly of the heroic spirit and devotion of the Flying Tigers. They all agreed that people should remember the history and work hard to create a bright future for friendship and cooperation between the people of China and the U.S.