增進中美人民友好情誼 美中航空遺產基金會主席及飛虎隊老兵一行訪渝

楊艷 黃儀

11月1日，坐落在嘉陵江畔的重慶史迪威博物館迎來老朋友。應中國人民對外友好協會邀請，美中航空遺產基金會主席杰弗里·格林，飛虎隊老兵哈里·莫耶、梅爾文·麥克馬倫一行36人來渝訪問。

今年8月30日，杰弗里·格林和哈里·莫耶、梅爾文·麥克馬倫共同致信習近平主席，表示將傳承和弘揚中美合作的寶貴精神財富。9月12日，習近平主席復信指出，中美關系的希望在人民，基礎在民間，未來在青年，新時期中美關系的健康穩定發展，需要新時期飛虎隊員的參與和支持，希望飛虎隊精神能夠在兩國人民之間一代一代傳承下去。

“人們追求和平生活的愿望始終沒有改變”

1941年，美國陳納德將軍組建“中國空軍美國志愿航空大隊”（飛虎隊），與中國軍民共同在抗擊日本法西斯的斗爭中同仇敵愾，經受血與火的考驗，結下了深厚的友誼。

代表團參觀了重慶史迪威博物館，飛虎隊老兵哈里·莫耶和梅爾文·麥克馬倫向史迪威將軍雕像獻花。參觀了史迪威將軍舊居、史迪威將軍生平圖片展、第二次世界大戰時期美國援華空軍圖片實物展，仔細聆聽講解，并在友誼墻上簽名。

哈里·莫耶介紹2018年，舉世聞名的科蒂斯P-40戰鷹戰斗機退役前，他作為二戰飛行員再次駕駛這架戰斗機。今年10月30日，莫耶在北京度過了103歲的生日，他的生日愿望是：“我能想到最好的事，就是世界和平以及各國人民和諧相處?！?/p>

98歲的飛虎隊老兵梅爾文·麥克馬倫是美國陸軍航空隊技術中士，曾擔任B-24解放者轟炸機機炮手和助理飛行機械師。2015年9月，他來華參加慶祝中國人民抗日戰爭暨世界反法斯戰爭勝利70周年系列活動。此行再次來到重慶，他說：“80多年過去了，這座城市發生了翻天覆地的變化，但人們追求和平生活的愿望始終沒有改變?！?/p>

“飛虎隊精神就像連接美中關系的紐帶”

一幅幅照片、一件件實物，讓飛虎隊老兵及其后代感觸頗多。

陳納德將軍外孫女嘉蘭惠表示：“飛虎隊精神就像連接美中關系的紐帶，提醒著我們不忘戰斗歲月結下的深厚友誼，要開創合作共贏的美好未來?！?/p>

飛虎隊老兵理查德·奧爾尼的女兒羅賓·奧爾尼，在重慶史迪威博物館內的一張老照片中發現了父親的身影，她激動地上前親吻了照片中的父親，感慨地說：“沒想到能在萬里之外的重慶見到父親的照片，我很高興。”

“以前我并不知道我的曾祖父還有這些事跡?！?5歲的杰克遜·隆是飛虎隊老兵克利福德·隆的曾孫，也是代表團中年紀最小的成員。他認真地說：“我認為我們應該更加深入地了解那段歷史，它讓兩國人民之間形成了一種非常牢固的關系。我愿意成為延續兩國友誼的一員?！?/p>

美中航空遺產基金會主席杰弗里·格林表示，在中國，很多人知曉飛虎隊的故事，但很多美國年輕人卻不了解這段歷史。近年來，美中航空遺產基金會通過創立“飛虎隊友誼學?！薄⒔M織飛虎隊老兵及其家屬到訪中國等活動，傳承兩國先輩的合作精神，為兩國民間交流合作貢獻力量。明年，將組織百余名美國學生訪問中國，讓他們更清楚地了解飛虎隊的歷史。

美中航空遺產基金會成立于1998年，是旨在促進中美航空歷史事件研究和紀念的美國民間友好團體。一直致力于在中美兩國人民間普及和傳播飛虎隊、駝峰航線相關歷史，紀念兩國人民在抗擊日本法西斯的斗爭中的友好合作，促進相互理解，加強友好關系。

Promoting Friendship Between Chinese and American People

Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Tigers Veterans Visiting Chongqing

By Yang Yan and Huang Yi/The World and Chongqing

On November 1， Chongqings Stilwell Museum， nestled on the bank of the Jialing River， welcomed old friends of Chinese people. Jeffrey Greene， Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation， along with his party of 36 Flying Tigers veterans， including Harry Moyer and Melvin McMullen， came and visited Chongqing， at the invitation from the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries （CPAFFC）.

On August 30， Greene， Moyer， and McMullen jointly wrote to President Xi Jinping， expressing their willingness to inherit and carry forward the precious legacies of China-U.S. cooperation. On September 12， President Xi Jinping replied， stressing that “the hope foundation for China-U.S. relations lies in the people， the foundation lies among the people， and the future lies in the youth.” The sound and stable development of China-U.S. relations for the new era requires the participation and support of the Flying Tigers in the new era， and it is hoped that the spirit of the Flying Tigers will be passed on from generation to generation between the two peoples.

Never-Changing Desire to Pursue a Peaceful Life

In 1941， General Chennault of the United States formed the “American Volunteer Group” （known as Flying Tigers）， which fought side by side with the Chinese force and people in the struggle against Japanese fascists and forged a profound friendship between China and the United States that withstood the test of blood and fire.

The delegation visited the Chongqing Stilwell Museum， and Flying Tigers veterans Harry Moyer and Melvin McMullen brought their floral tributes to the statue of the late General Stilwell. Then they visited the generals former residence， the photo exhibition on General Stilwells life， and the exhibition of the American Air Forces aid to China during World War II. They listened carefully to the guide， and signed their names on the “wall of friendship”.

In 2018， Harry Moyer， a World War II pilot， flew the world-famous Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter again before its decommissioning. On October 30， 2023， Moyer celebrated his 103rd birthday in Beijing. He made his birthday wish of “happiness， blessing， and peace throughout the world， and companionship of people around the globe.”

Melvin McMullen， the 98-year-old Flying Tigers veteran is a technical sergeant of the U.S. Army Air Corps， who served as a B-24 Liberator bomber gunner and assistant flight mechanic. In September 2015， he participated in a series of activities in China to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. This time he visited Chongqing again， saying， “More than 80 years later， the city has changed dramatically， but peoples desire to pursue a peaceful life has never changed.”

The Flying Tigers Spirit as a Bond Connecting the U.S. and China

The photos and objects at the exhibition made the veterans and their younger generations very emotional.

Nell Calloway， General Chennaults granddaughter said， “The Flying Tigers spirit serves as a bond connecting the U.S. and China relations， reminding the two peoples not to forget the deep friendship forged during the war and to create a bright future of cooperation and mutual benefit.”

In the Stilwell Museum in Chongqing， Robin Olney， the daughter of Richard Olney， a veteran of the American Flying Tigers， spotted her father in an old photo. She excitedly stepped forward and kissed her father in the photo， saying， “I have never thought that I would see my fathers photo in Chongqing， thousands of miles away. I'm so happy.”

“I didn't know my great-grandfather had done these deeds before.” The 15-year-old Jackson Long is the great-grandson of the Flying Tigers veteran Clifford Long and the youngest member of the delegation. He said earnestly， “I believe we really should have a deeper understanding of that history， which has formed a strong bond between the two peoples. I am ready to be one of them who contribute to the enduring friendship between our two countries.”

Jeffrey Greene， Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation， said that in China， many people know the story of the Flying Tigers， while many young Americans dont. In recent years， the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation has carried out activities such as building “Flying Tigers Friendship Schools” and organizing Flying Tigers veterans and their family members to visit China， so as to keep alive the cooperation spirit between the predecessors of the two countries and contribute to the people-to-people exchange and cooperation between the two countries. Next year， the foundation will organize more than 100 American students to visit China and give them opportunities to learn more about the history of the Flying Tigers.

Since its inception in 1998， the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation has dedicated itself to communicating the history of the Flying Tigers and the Hump Route， commemorating the friendly cooperation between the two peoples during World War II， and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.