Flying Tigers artifacts donated to keep history alive

The Flying Tigers Historical Association donated 80 relics to the Relic Park of Yangtang Airport for Flying Tigers on Tuesday in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo by Wang Zhanfei/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Historical relics from American General Claire Lee Chennault, commander of the Flying Tigers — who assisted China in its fight against Japan during World War II, were donated on Tuesday to the Relic Park of Yangtang Airport for Flying Tigers in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

"We must remember the past in forging ahead to a better future," said Larry Jobe, president of the Flying Tigers Historical Organization as he expressed a desire to preserve the legacy.

The organization donated 80 items associated with the American Volunteer Group, nicknamed the Flying Tigers. Based at Yangtang Airport in Guilin, they fought alongside Chinese residents and wrote a remarkable chapter in the history of the Chinese resistance against the Japanese invasion.

In 2015, the Guilin government built the park to remember history and promote friendship between China and the United States.

"Collecting artifacts from this time period is getting harder every day as veterans pass on. Their mementos and treasures are often overlooked by the younger generation. Museums like the park in Guilin can help keep these memories alive," Jobe said.

Since its establishment, the Flying Tigers Historical Association has been passing down the legacy of what happened during the war and contributing to friendly interactions between the Chinese and American people.

Cynthia Louise Chennault, the daughter of General Chennault, brought a telescope used by her father in Guilin, along with the Phoenix embroidered banner, which is dedicated to the air unit.

"I found this telescope in my mother's drawer by chance — and what a coincidence. This is the one I saw in a photo of my father in Guilin. So I decided to bring it here to enrich the collection of the museum and hope that more people will visit it and learn the history, especially the young generation," she said.