It was the hope of late American General Claire Chennault to keep the spirit of the U.S. and China working together toward a common goal. So is his granddaughter's.[Special coverage]
Reminding people of the great connection between China and the U.S. during World War II could bring a better understanding between the two countries and help maintain world peace, Nell Calloway, granddaughter of "Flying Tigers" commander Gen. Chennault, told Xinhua in an interview.
Calloway is the director of the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum located in Monroe, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. From her unique perspective, she dedicated herself to bringing history alive and helping promote Sino-U.S. relationship by rekindling the special wartime bond between the two countries more than seven decades ago.
The museum is the only one in the U.S. dedicated to Chennault's heroic deeds and the history of the "Flying Tigers", the nickname given to the American Volunteer Group, the air corps that fought alongside the Chinese against Japanese aggression during WWII.
"We need to focus on that past that we have and maybe more Americans will realize what we did accomplish together," Calloway said of the Sino-U.S. cooperation during the war. "I do think that sometimes that relationship has not been talked like it should."
Calloway's efforts to keep the wartime memory alive have gained support from many American pilots who fought in China during WWII, including Jay Vinyard, a 92-year-old veteran of the famous Hump Operation.
"The flying tigers and the Hump Operation created a great deal of goodwill and the goodwill still exists," Vinyard told Xinhua at the museum, adding that the pilots have become "good ambassadors" to enhance Sino-U.S. understanding.
The highlight of the museum is "Way of a Fighter", a multimedia exhibit that draws heavily on Chennault's autobiography. It tells the stories from his struggling military career to the legendary heroic deed in China from 1937 to 1945.
Chennault's "love, respect and admiration for the Chinese people was not limited to political affiliation or region," said an introduction to the exhibit. "Way of a Fighter brings the lessons of history to life for today's generations and generations to come."
The tenacity of the Chinese people and the sacrifices they made to try to defeat the Japanese really impressed her grandfather, Calloway said, adding that "he saw them as great heroes and he had great respect for the Chinese people."
Each year, the museum attracts more than 40,000 visitors from all over the world. Many of them come from China to pay tribute to the heroic American general.
Calloway said she appreciated the way Chinese people honor the heroes. During trips to China, she was also impressed by the extensive efforts the country had put in building commemorative facilities to remind people of the atrocities of war.
"You were doing more in China than we were doing in America to try to build this bridge," Calloway said. "We really need to motivate the Americans to do as well."
With the help of the museum's Board of Directors, especially its chairman Elvis Stout, Calloway is working to expand the museum into an institute to make full use of its educational function.
"My favorite saying is that 'people who have no past have no future'," she said. "If we don't remember our past, we are doomed to repeat it."
