Flying Tigers veterans: China-U.S friendship depends on the future generation

"I wish for happiness and blessing and peace throughout the world and a good companionship with all peoples," Harry Moyer, a veteran of the U.S. Flying Tigers, expressed birthday wish on his 103rd birthday on 29th of Oct in Beijing.

Starting from Sunday, Moyer and another Flying Tigers veteran, Melvin McMullen, along with more than 30 descendants of Flying Tigers members, visited China. They traveled to Beijing, and will visit Chongqing, Kunming in Yunnan, Liuzhou in Guangxi, and other places, retracing shared memories.

Moyer had visited China in 1995. On his third visit, he expressed amazement at the remarkable changes he witnessed compared to the past. However, he also noted the hardworking nature of the Chinese people.

As a member of the Flying Tigers, Moyer, along with his squadron, resisted the Japanese invaders together with the Chinese military and civilians in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province in 1944.

According to statistics, during the period of the Flying Tigers' support to China, they shot down over 2,600 Japanese aircraft. More than 2,000 American Flying Tigers sacrificed their lives in various battles, and over 200 Flying Tigers members were rescued by the Chinese people. Many Chinese individuals gave their lives in the process of these rescues.

“There's a linear relationship between Chinese and the American students through the internet.” Talking about the relationship between the two countries, Moyer said “it's the future generation that counts.”.

Moyer believes that today's American youth are not as familiar with the history of the Flying Tigers and hopes that through this visit, they could gain a better understanding of China's history and culture.

“I think they're really looking for it for completing this mission,” he said.