On September 1st (Sunday), the Jian Guo High School Southern California Alumni Association held a lecture at the Overseas Chinese Center to celebrate the upcoming Armed Forces Day on September 3rd. They invited Hsu Jianhong to share his new book “US-China Alliance: The American Air Force in the Chinese Battlefield of World War II,” introducing the Air Force hero Claire Lee Chennault and the Flying Tigers who helped the Republic of China resist the Japanese during World War II. The event attracted attendees from different generations to come and listen.
The Flying Tigers, officially known as the “American Volunteer Group” (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, was established in China during World War II. The group was sent from the US as volunteer troops to support China in resisting Japanese aggression, providing aircraft and pilots to form an air force unit that fought against the Japanese in China, Burma, and other regions.
The Flying Tigers witnessed the glorious history of the cooperation between the Republic of China Air Force and the US Air Force in fighting side by side against the invaders. However, with the dwindling population of old veterans, their stories have been forgotten by many. Hsu Jianhong pointed out that the Communist Party of China (CPC), in an attempt to seize the narrative of this history, held a grand banquet last December 18th in San Gabriel City, Los Angeles County, commemorating the 130th anniversary of the birth of General Chennault of the Flying Tigers, with the Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles and hundreds of political and business figures in attendance. In reality, the CPC has no connection to the Flying Tigers; the group was established with the vigorous assistance of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling, embodying the close cooperation between China and the US during World War II that should not be distorted by the CPC.
Though born in the US, Hsu Jianhong grew up in Taiwan and has a family legacy in the Republic of China Air Force, with his mother being an alumna of the Taichung Air Force School. He has spent many years researching Taiwan’s defense, foreign affairs, and modern Chinese history. Unable to record his grandfather’s life, he is dedicated to collecting and passing down the stories of World War II veterans, having interviewed over 200 veterans from the US and both sides of the Taiwan Strait and published three related historical books.
In many aviation museums across the US, one can find information and displays related to the Flying Tigers, representing the traces of the interaction between the Republic of China and the US. Hsu Jianhong urged the audience that the friendly history between China and the US should not be monopolized by the CPC, nor should they allow the CPC to use the Flying Tigers as a means to court the US. It is important for the public to understand and appreciate this history. He found that the story of the Flying Tigers has moved many Americans, helping to establish a strong bond between Taiwan and the US.
Yuan Yuhua, a 9th-grade student and Foreign Affairs and Strategy Corps Ambassador (FASCA) who grew up in the US, mentioned that she had never heard of the Flying Tigers before. Attending the lecture made her realize the formidable air force history of Taiwan. She also became interested in the collaboration between Taiwan and the US during World War II and expressed her intent to further explore related historical knowledge.
Yang Xianyi, a consultant of overseas Chinese affairs, stated that in 1955, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China chose September 3rd, the Victory Day of the War of Resistance against Japan, as the Armed Forces Day of the Republic of China in order to unify the holiday celebrations of various branches of the military. This lecture not only celebrates Armed Forces Day but also aims to deepen the audience’s understanding of the glorious history of the Flying Tigers and the Taiwan Air Force, inspiring a closer historical and cultural connection between the US and Taiwan.
The President of the Jian Guo High School Southern California Alumni Association, Zhang Hu, expressed gratitude to the Southern California Branch of the Retired Veterans Association of the Republic of China, the California Taiwan Compatriot Association, and the Association of the Republic of China Air Force Families in the US for their cooperation in organizing the lecture. On that day, young ambassadors of the Foreign Affairs and Strategy Corps volunteered to serve, assisting with photography and refreshments.