Nell Chennault Calloway, granddaughter of U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault, who led the wartime Flying Tigers pilots to fight Japanese invaders in China during World War II (WWII), has been invited to attend China's Victory Day commemorations in Beijing on Wednesday.
General Claire Lee Chennault, a legendary American aviator who led the Flying Tigers in defense of China during WWII, remains a symbol of courage and friendship between the two nations.
Chennault arrived in China on June 1, 1937.
Nell Chennault Calloway, CEO and president of Chennault Aviation and Military Museum, showed a letter written by General Chennault to his youngest daughter, also Calloway's mother, on June 22, 1937.
"The war between China and Japan [Japanese troops' full-scale invasion of China] started in July of 1937, only a few weeks after this letter, and he offered his services to China, and he was put as a chief air adviser to the Chinese Air Force," she said.
Only a few weeks after this letter, he offered his services to China.
The Flying Tigers -- officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force -- was formed in 1941 by him to help China in its fight against invading Japanese forces.
The official tally of the American Volunteer Group at the time was 299 Japanese planes destroyed in seven months.
"I've had the honor of being in Beijing on the 60th anniversary, the 70th anniversary, and it is an extreme honor to be now included in this 80th anniversary. But the significance of it is we should never, ever forget history. we have to find some way to live in peace with each other. And that is through dialog. A lot of that dialog concentrates on the past and what we accomplish by working together," Calloway said.
Granddaughter of Flying Tigers general to attend China's V-Day commemorations
