HANGZHOU, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — Standing within the rain, American customer William Kantenberger gazed at a statue of a parachute touchdown in Quzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, reflecting on his grandfather’s touchdown there greater than 80 years in the past.
On April 18, 1942, Doolittle Raid pilot Rodney Ross Wilder landed in Quzhou in a parachute, after which he was rescued and brought residence by native Mao Guangxiao, earlier than finally rejoined the opposite rescued pilots.
Last April, a statue was erected on the positioning of Wilder’s touchdown.
“I was so touched by the monument in his honor,” Kantenberger informed Xinhua. “It was amazing to truly walk in his footsteps. I felt so connected to him at that moment.”
The statue is only one of quite a few monuments, former residences and museums throughout China which are devoted to the international fighters who got here to China from international locations together with the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, France and Canada to struggle alongside the Chinese in opposition to Japanese invaders.
On Jan. 1, 1942, 26 international locations — together with China — gathered in Washington to concern the Declaration by United Nations, which was a pledge to unite to oppose the fascists of Germany, Italy and Japan.
In April that yr, a gaggle of 16 U.S. bomber jets, led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, took off from the USS Hornet plane provider and air raided a number of Japanese cities, together with Tokyo.
As the planes turned south after the raid, they ran low on gas and crashed in varied areas throughout japanese China. Local residents risked their lives to rescue the parachuting airmen and helped them evacuate to security. Of the 75 airmen aboard the planes, 64 have been rescued by Chinese folks, most of whom have been native villagers who had acquired no official discover of the emergency.
Their rescue, nevertheless, got here at an amazing price. Many locals have been suspected of sheltering the Americans, and a few have been even tortured or slaughtered by the Japanese.
In 1992, 5 of the Chinese rescuers have been invited to the United States to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. George H. W. Bush, then U.S. president, mentioned in a letter that the United States would always remember the “extraordinary contribution” made by the rescuers on that event.
In 2015, President of the Children of the Doolittle Raiders Jeff Thatcher proposed {that a} memorial be constructed to commemorate the historic occasion. The native authorities in Quzhou acquired greater than 100 objects from the United States, in addition to proof that had been collected and sorted by native researchers through the years, together with the wreckage of B-25 bombers, the names of a whole lot of rescuers, and objects from the crash websites of 15 plane.
“Much of the aircraft debris was dug up piece by piece by local historical researchers on mountains and in valleys, from different landing points such as mountain hollows, fields and cliffs,” Tong Lijuan, director of the Doolittle Raid Memorial Hall, informed Xinhua.
The friendship solid between the Chinese and American peoples through the Anti-Fascist War has developed right into a bond spanning 83 years, she mentioned. “What we should remember about Doolittle Raid is not only the heroic deeds of the fearless people, but also this international friendship which continues to remind younger generations to cherish peace.”
The memorial corridor formally opened in October 2018. Tong famous that it has attracted greater than 500,000 guests so far. In the primary seven months of this yr alone, the variety of visits exceeded 150,000.
“It was moving to see so many Chinese people engaged with the exhibits, reflecting on the historical cooperation between our two countries, and honoring the bravery of both the American airmen and the Chinese people who helped them,” Kantenberger mentioned.
Like Kantenberger, descendants of the Doolittle Raiders have repeatedly visited Quzhou prior to now a long time.
In April, representatives from the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, the USS Hornet Museum and the Children of the Doolittle Raiders got here for an occasion, when the USS Hornet Museum gifted an unique movie reel of a 1942 Doolittle Raiders coaching train to the Quzhou Society for the History of the Doolittle Raid.
“The bond transcends borders and remains in people’s hearts,” mentioned Han Qiang, president of the society.
This yr marks the eightieth anniversary of victory within the Chinese People’s War of Resistance in opposition to Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
Following the large-scale victory day army parade in Beijing, Kantenberger final week traveled to Quzhou together with his spouse Tracy, the place they visited the memorial corridor as soon as once more.
Over the years, he has witnessed its enlargement. “The difference between 2018 and 2024 is six years. The place had grown by three times. It is awesome and all the content was high caliber,” he mentioned.
“This expansion shows a strong commitment to preserving and sharing this important history, ensuring that the lessons of courage, kindness and international collaboration from that era are remembered for generations to come,” he mentioned. “In a world that sometimes feels divided, the Doolittle Raid Memorial Hall is a strong reminder of what we share and what we can do when we work together.”