Veteran never die

Chapter 393

0397 Flying Tiger Raiders Museum

Flying Tiger Raiders Museum.

Seeing these five big characters, Wang Liang couldn't help thinking of a person, General Chennault.

Claire Lee Chennault, Major General and Pilot, United States Army Air Corps.

1893年9月6日生于美国得克萨斯州康麦斯，1936年6月3日，宋美龄任命陈纳德为中国空军顾问，帮助建立中国空军。

On August 1941, 8, the American Volunteer Team of the Chinese Air Force was established, with Chennault serving as the captain of the colonel.

During the Anti-Japanese War, Chennault himself shot down 41 Japanese fighter planes in China.

Wang Liang said with emotion: "I don't remember how you came to China, but I remember how you left."

On July 1945, 7, that day was the day Chennault left office.

The Chinese government awarded him the highest honor, and the province of Yunnan announced that the road leading to Wujiaba Airport in downtown Kunming would be renamed Chennault Road.

On August 1945, 8, Chennault's farewell ceremony was held, and Wang Liang also attended.

At around [-] p.m., tens of thousands of Chinese people rushed to the scene of the farewell ceremony, wanting to see the true face of the American general.

Wang Liang still remembers that when General Chennault's open jeep appeared on that road, the entire road was already surrounded by citizens who came to see him off.

The military police maintaining order simply had no way to effectively control the scene at that time.

The citizens loved the American general from the bottom of their hearts.

The scene was full of people.

Everyone waved their hands and shouted Chennault's name.

This scene touched Chennault, who was nearly sixty years old, and he, who could not speak Chinese, shed tears and responded to everyone with the word "very good" repeatedly.

Drop drop-

The citizens who came to see him off blocked the road, and General Chennault's car could not pass through.

It was not until eight o'clock that General Chennault's car appeared at the venue.

Wang Liang tried his best to recall the scene at that time: "I remember that the convertible car did not drive over, but was pushed to the venue by a dozen strong young people. There were steps in the venue, and General Chennault wanted to get out of the car , As a result, the car was directly carried into the venue as a sedan chair."

The simple people of the mountain city express their reluctance and respect for the heroes in this special way.

To express their gratitude, when Chennault left the mountain city, the citizens of the mountain city spontaneously presented him with tens of thousands of small gifts.

The Kuomintang government gave Chennault a golden key to show that the door of China is always open to him, and the family is welcome to come back at any time.

Among the gifts presented by the common people, Chennault chose some of them to take back home.

When Wang Liang recalled the past years, he couldn't help being touched a lot.

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese devils quickly occupied the air supremacy in China by virtue of their absolute superiority in the air force.

The Japanese planes raged wildly on the battlefield, bombing key strategic cities in China such as Shanghai, Wuhan, Chongqing, and Xi'an. The weak Chinese Air Force had almost no power to fight back.

Countless innocent Chinese were killed in the bombing.

In troubled times, life is not controlled by oneself, how sad it is.

Fearing every day and night, when the air defense siren sounded, you must rush into the air-raid shelter as quickly as possible.

Wang Liang sighed.

On that day in 1945, Wang Liang recalled that four years ago, Chennault led the US Air Force pilots to the Chinese battlefield to fight against the Japanese invaders.

Since the U.S. government had not declared war on Japan at that time, this air force was called the "Chinese Air Force American Volunteer Aid to China Air Force", and every aircraft had to be painted with the blue sky and white sun logo.

It was under the assistance of this air force that China dealt a heavy blow to the arrogant and evil Japanese air force.

The air force continuously bombed Japanese airports, Japanese military bases and strategic targets, and even directly bombed the Japanese mainland, making great achievements in China's war of resistance.

Today, Wang Liang looks at the things collected in the exhibition hall.

Lunch boxes used by pilots

General Chennault boarding photo

Flying Tigers logo

U.S. Army Stabbing
Wang Liang said: "Nearly [-] young soldiers died on Chinese soil in this air force composed of Americans."

These things, too, are little known.

The relationship between China and the United States is complicated. Due to various reasons, in these areas, there is not much publicity and effort.

But Wang Liang felt that those people and events that year should not be forgotten.

Perhaps there is an ideological confrontation between us, but this is not a barrier that prevents us from being good friends and brothers.

To commemorate these Allied soldiers, in the Flying Tiger Raiders Museum, Fan Jianguo burned the photos of American officers and soldiers that he could find into porcelain plate paintings in a unique Chinese form.

One by one neatly hung on the wall of the exhibition hall, let people remember and remember forever.

In the center of the exhibition hall, Wang Liang noticed a photo of Fan Jianguo and an elderly foreigner.

It is not difficult to guess that this is an American.

He looked like he was 90 or [-] years old, and he was sitting in a wheelchair.

"This is a veteran of the Flying Tigers. His name is Robert Gruber. He was a pilot of the Tenth Air Wing of the United States."

Fan Jianguo continued to introduce to Wang Liang: "In [-], after many inquiries and searches, I got some information about the veteran of the Flying Tigers and invited him to our museum."

Fan Jianguo restored the situation at that time for everyone.

When he saw the photos of his comrades on the wall, Robert couldn't help crying.

He asked Fan Jianguo, "Are all the U.S. troops here?"

Fan Jianguo replied, "Yes."

Robert asked again: "Have you been in the army? What rank?"

Fan Jianguo replied: "I was a soldier, and my rank was captain."

At this time, Robert, who had limited legs and feet, stood up abruptly from the wheelchair, raised his hand to give Fan Jianguo a military salute, and said in a trembling voice: "First, you are sir, and my rank is lieutenant. Two, thank you for building such a good museum for the US military, and thank you for remembering me."

Fan Jianguo hurriedly raised his hand to return the salute: "It should be us who thank you for helping us defeat the Japanese invaders with your sacrifices."

The emotions of the Chinese and American people and soldiers of the two countries transcend ideology, time and space, and give each other the highest respect.

Speaking of this, those who have served as soldiers feel the deepest.

What moved Fan Jianguo even more was Robert, a little-known story about the former Flying Tigers pilot.

When he was in China, he fell in love with a beautiful American nurse.

But after the end of the Anti-Japanese War, the nurse disappeared.

Robert has been collecting photos of his lovers, framed from aluminum sheets from downed Japanese aircraft.

Robert never married.
[true story, not fiction]

(End of this chapter)