"We've continued working with them, and as we've expanded the program, we get the opportunity to go to different provinces," said Jeffrey Greene, Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation. "Here in Guangdong, you're very fortunate. This is an outstanding group of people. They really respect the Flying Tiger spirit and how important it is—the history, the role that it plays in friendship between our two countries."
Greene's foundation has worked with the Guangdong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (GDPAFFC) for years. "Literally, no other organization within the system works with us as supportively, as consistently, and as kindly as the Guangdong branch," he said. "We're very pleased to be here and very pleased with our relationship with the association here."
The partnership has yielded tangible results. A Flying Tigers photo exhibition—featuring images the foundation has collected for three decades—was held in Guangdong and has traveled to other provinces and even the Smithsonian Institution in the United States. "We have one of the better collections of photos, but more importantly, we have the information," Greene said. "It's not just American pilots standing next to an airplane somewhere in China. It's the location, it's the airfield, it's the specific airplane. It is who the pilot is."
Greene also spoke about the significance of Taishan, a city in Guangdong with deep historical ties to Chinese American veterans. "Taishan is significant because such a large number of Chinese who immigrated to the United States were from there," he said. He noted that during World War II, many Chinese Americans from Taishan joined the U.S. military. "To have a school in Taishan, to me personally, it just brings it home." He added that they now share these stories with students—"these Chinese Americans who come from Taishan or whose fathers came from Taishan."
This summer, the foundation is bringing its first American students to Guangdong. "I'm so happy now that we're bringing our first American students to Guangdong," Greene said. The students come from across the United States—from New York, South Texas, the Philadelphia area, Washington State, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. "It's a great opportunity for these students to meet one another and then share an adventure."
Since starting the program three years ago, the foundation has brought 500 students to China. Greene said, "We're teaching the Americans—it's their history. We're teaching these Chinese students—same history, their history. And that's probably the most important thing we do. The more we cooperate, the more we tell these stories; it spreads friendship and understanding."
Reflecting on his first visit to Guangdong three years ago, Greene recalled, "They took us to every place we needed to see, and they shared everything they could with us. It just opened up my eyes." He said coming to Guangdong "opened my eyes," noting that earlier activities had focused elsewhere—Wuhan, Chengdu—but Guangdong opened a new chapter for the foundation.
As the GPAFFC marks its 70th anniversary, Greene offered a warm tribute: "Congratulations on their 70th anniversary. I wish them a happy 70 more years if not longer."
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Video, photo & cover: Pan Jiajun
