A student delegation from the United States paid tribute to U.S. Flying Tiger pilot Glen Beneda in front of his tombstone of in central China's Hubei Province on Monday, recalling memories of friendship between the two countries during the war.
The Flying Tigers, officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, was formed in 1941 by U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault to help China in its fight against invading Japanese troops.
A total of 2,193 members of the Flying Tigers lost their lives while supporting China and Myanmar during World War II. During battles, more than 200 downed pilots were rescued by Chinese civilians, and thousands of Chinese people died aiding them.
In 1943, Beneda, then aged 19, was dispatched to China as a fighter pilot in the 14th U.S. Air Force. During an attack on a large Japanese army base in central China's Hankou the following year, the tail of Beneda's plane was hit and the aircraft crashed into Xiafeng Lake in Jianli County, Hubei Province. Beneda survived by parachuting into a nearby rice paddy, but he was severely wounded and barely able to move.
Soon surrounded by local farmers, he used an emergency English-Chinese phrase book to try to communicate with them. The farmers finally realized that the man in front of them was an American soldier, and decided to save him. They carried him to a nearby farmhouse and, to prevent Japanese troops from locating the aircraft wreckage, tied heavy stones to his plane and sank it to the bottom of the lake.
On Oct. 20, 2010, Beneda suffered a heart attack and passed away three days later. In accordance with his wishes, some of his ashes were interred at the memorial park of the former residence of Li Xiannian in Hubei's Hong'an County -- the very land that had once sheltered him.
Led by Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, the legacy of the Flying Tigers was revisited by a new generation -- the descendants of its veterans, along with students and teachers from several U.S. Flying Tigers friendship schools.
In the cemetery shaded by towering pines, a line of over 80 Americans, most of whom are high school or college students, stood silently and placed chrysanthemums on the tombstone of Beneda in Hubei.
Among the visiting students was Lili Li, who was visiting China for the first time with her mother Anna Li, who is the daughter of Lieutenant Kuo Ching Li, the only Chinese-American Flying Tiger.
"My grandfather, Casey Li, he was part of the 16th fighter squadron in the 51st group. I feel like that's one of the most important things to spread this information about these connections. Especially with the story about Beneda, I think that he is one of the main reasons why we have created this such strong bond between the Chinese and the Americans," said Lili Li.
Beneda's stories and enduring friendship with China were recorded in a documentary titled "Touching the Tigers." All the visiting students were invited to watch the documentary.
"I think it provides a common foundation through which Chinese and American friendship can be deepened, especially now that there's a new generation, there's younger people. I think we can continue to build upon what's been done in the past," said Giacomo Weil, another U.S. student.
The delegation also visited some former wartime sites, and took part in specially-prepared activities to experience traditional Chinese culture and modern technology.
"What definitely touch me throughout the trip is just the scale of history in China. Of course, America is a very young country compared to the thousands of years that China has been here. So, [I'm] really seeing that deep sense of history that's here in China has been absolutely incredible and amazing," said Weil, after visiting historical relics at the Hubei Provincial Museum and trying traditional martial arts and handicrafts at university campuses.
"I think this is a big step in our friendship becoming closer and better because we students are like the next generation. So us connecting with other Chinese students will really help us further the connection," said Sandra, another U.S. student.
WWII bond lives on as US students pay tribute to Flying Tiger rescued by Chinese people
