Legacy of flying tigers lives on

"We look back at history, and we remember China and America, our friends. We saved each other," he said.

Donald MacInnis, who was born in 1920 and passed away in 2005, was a Flying Tiger "coast watcher", working with his Chinese comrades to spot approaching Japanese supply ships. They would radio coordinates to the Kunming command in Southwest China, alerting them about the opportunity for bomber strikes.

Elyn MacInnis, Donald's daughter-in-law and a cultural expert who worked and lived in China for over 30 years, said, "This is a bond and a friendship that was forged in blood, and forged at the deepest level."

"What if I asked you: 'Would you die for someone else?' Well, we'd all be afraid. So they were young, and they were idealistic, and actually I believe we need more of that," she said.

"We need to remind ourselves that idealism is what makes our world a shining star, and we need to remember the work, the sacrifices that everybody made," she added.

Power of youth

Thanks to the collaborative efforts between the two countries, more young people are traveling to each other's nations. They are playing a key role in building friendships, promoting cooperation and addressing challenges in fields like artificial intelligence.

In 2023, President Xi said in his reply letter that he was glad to see that Greene's foundation and Flying Tigers veterans have been tirelessly promoting the story of the Flying Tigers in both China and the US, and that an increasing number of young Americans have participated in the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools and Youth Leadership Program.

In July, the Wangjiang No 2 High School in Anqing, Anhui province, officially joined the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools Program.

Clifford Long Jr, vice-chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, led a Flying Tigers delegation to the school and handed over the metal plate of the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools to one of the school's executives.

He is the son of Flying Tiger Clifford Long Sr, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 94.