Flying Tigers: Heroes in War, Neighbors in Peace

One day after the 2024 United States Presidential election outcome, citizens of the People’s Republic of China and the United States brace themselves for a potentially more turbulent relationship. Amidst the trepidation, a shining symbol of Chinese-American friendship is reborn: the Flying Tigers. At a public event at the United States Embassy in Beijing, several hundred guests, including Chinese nationals, attended the premiere of a documentary film titled Valor and Memory, a tribute to the American and Chinese fighter pilots who defended China during the Second World War. These American and Chinese heroes are revered and celebrated in China, but have become forgotten in the United States.

Luckily, that’s about to change. The film, produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Bill Einreinhofer, will be aired on two hundred public television stations in America this weekend in honor of Veterans Day. Watch it on PBS.org now. I sincerely hope that this amazing story of friendship and cooperation between the United States and China can calm tensions and ease concerns of the American public as the country steps into a new era of leadership.

My personal, yet indirect connection to the Flying Tigers comes through my grandfather, who served in the Air Force during World War II and lost his brother in a tragic air accident. Many years later, my grandfather visited China. He made a special trip to Chongqing, which is home to one of the many museums and monuments to the Flying Tigers in China. He experienced the stories of his fellow airmen and paid tribute to their sacrifice. Later on, he served as a diplomat for the US Department of State and remains deeply fascinated with China. Recently, at 99 years old, he expressed his admiration and hopes for the Chinese young people in a video message for the students of China’s top university for diplomats: China Foreign Affairs University. He affirmed and implored, “You are good people. Always be good.” Though simple, this message resonated deeply.

Having watched the film, I now understand that the story of the Flying Tigers was not just about the American pilots. It was about the African-American army engineers who cleared jungle in Burma and drove trucks over the Himalayan mountains to supply the troops in Kunming. It was about the Chinese pilots who were recruited from all over China to learn how to fly American P-51 Mustangs. It was about the Chinese-Americans who were drafted from Chinatowns throughout the country to serve as translators and technicians for the military equipment. It was about the nurses who cared for these soldiers in their injuries and even tragic deaths. It was about the Chinese American Composite Wing, which was the only military unit in history where Americans and Chinese served side-by-side under a single chain of command. It’s a story that’s been forgotten in America, but will be forgotten no longer.

The military impact of the Flying Tigers is hard to assess. But two things are for sure. Firstly, the Flying Tigers were instrumental in repelling the enemy offensive in southern China. Without the Flying Tigers, history would have certainly unfolded much differently. And secondly, the Flying Tigers have become an enduring icon of Chinese-American friendship. I have only recently realized the enormous amount of gratitude and admiration the Chinese have for these heroic pilots and servicemen. Their legacy has undoubtedly served as a foundation of goodwill, even during more recent times of conflict between the two superpowers.

In the Q&A session, a Chinese national expressed his trepidation at the prospects of more turbulent US-China relations under the incoming leadership. The film’s director, Bill Einreinhofer, advised: “We’ve got to establish ways to communicate about things other than our differences. Find ways to keep talking. Find stories of American heroes. Of Chinese heroes. Of Chinese American heroes.” I echo Bill’s advice and aim to be a conduit for mutual understanding between these two great nations. Let’s tell the stories of these heroes and emulate their courage and dedication.

“There are so many other areas where there is a commonality between the American people and the Chinese people. And I really think it is through person-to-person communication that each side starts to get to know the other. However deep our differences may be, I think people on both sides don’t want a war.”

– Bill Einreinhofer

This Veterans Day, I hope the Flying Tigers’ legacy will spread far and wide among Americans and will endure long into the future. As we honor our veterans this weekend, may these heroes in war make us neighbors in peace as their story is told in this inspiring and touching documentary, Valor and Memory.