"Flying Tigers" does not sound cool? Flying Tigers in the last century, in the eyes of the country. They were heroes incarnate. They came from a foreign country, traveled far and wide to support China, and made great achievements in the Chinese battlefield, and became the representative of Sino-American cooperation, the embodiment of the sincere cooperation between China and the United States.
So how did the Flying Tigers come to China across the ocean? How did they become a symbol of Sino-American friendship?
In 1945 the enemy signed a surrender and the war was fully won. During the war, the enemy was particularly arrogant, and their arrogance, often provoking provocations in the international war effort, aroused the dissatisfaction of many countries, including the United States.
The enemy's most important battlefield at that time was in our country, coinciding with the Sino-US cooperation in full swing, the Flying Tigers "rightfully" appeared on the battlefield. Here, have to mention a person, it can be said that she single-handedly contributed to the Flying Tigers to support China. She is the mother of our air force - Song Meiling.
The enemy in the war, having killed their eyes, began to attack the people without distinction, with horrendous cruelty. Western countries, worried about irritating such an enemy, chose to keep their heads above water . They refused to sell advanced warplanes to China. Unequal equipment, so that many pilots can only fly extraordinarily old aircraft on the battlefield, for a moment, the country's air force suffered heavy losses.
Flying Tigers across the ocean
Faced with such a predicament, Soong contacted Chennault, who was still in the United States, and asked him to come to China for support. Chennault began to volunteer members to start training, and in 1941, Mr. Chiang announced the establishment of the Chinese Air Force American Support Brigade. Shark-headed fighter planes flew into Chinese airspace, but since most of the people of China had never seen a shark before, they gave the far-flung guests the nickname "Flying Tigers" because of the Flying Tigers' emblem and the shape of the fighter planes.
The warmth of the Chinese people has touched many of the SDU team members, who have been killed in battle, and the Chinese people respect the blonde volunteers, who always leave the best food for the team members, saying that they are in greater need of nourishment.
Many of the volunteers recruited by Chennault eventually chose to stay in China. What is well known is that Chennault, the leader of the Flying Tigers, married one of our outstanding female journalists and became a Chinese son-in-law. What many people don't know is that there was another volunteer who had a deep love for Chinese culture and also stayed in China.
Voluntary enrollment of Chinese culture enthusiast
He bluntly said that China is his home, and his descendants are now famous CCTV hosts. He is Mu Airen, a member of the Flying Tigers who volunteered to enroll that year. Mu Airen is a native American, even as he studied in Japan. Why did he volunteer for the SDU to defend China? And why did he choose to stay in China for the rest of his life?
Ren is a very important word in China, symbolizing the most beautiful part of Chinese culture, and the fact that Mu Airen named himself Airen shows that he knew enough about Chinese culture. Mu Airen has loved Chinese culture since he was a child, and in his eyes China is mysterious and alluring. 1940, he had the opportunity to study in Japan.
But Japan was too close to the China of his dreams, so close that he could get there by boat. After a couple of setbacks, he finally set foot on Chinese soil. Coinciding with the war in China, Mu Airen began to loathe the enemy for destroying his ideal country when he saw the thick Chinese earth being destroyed and the eyes of the hardworking and simple people yearning for peace.
But he could do nothing as a student, a passer-by. Returning to the United States, he happened to catch the recruitment of pilot volunteers for the Flying Tigers. Remembering that warm land, he packed his bag without hesitation and followed the team to set foot on Chinese soil again. He is determined to use his strength to guard what he loves.
Tough Air Force instructor
Mu Airen, who came to China again, was familiar with the place. Out of his love for Chinese culture, he was able to communicate simply with the students at the local air force school. So he took it upon himself to teach the students how to fly. His love of Chinese culture and his love of laughter soon made him a good friend of the Chinese airmen, and his Chinese got better and better.
But Mu Airen was strict in his teaching, knowing that pilots are not easy to train and are a national treasure. At that time, many pilots were the only sons of their families who came out to study. They served the motherland with a passion, and their families were waiting for them to come home. Mu Airen's rigorous training is to let them in the battlefield, a little more life, a little more hope.
The students at the flight academy didn't understand at first, thinking the blonde instructor was a two-faced man who was not at all reasonable in training. Then one of the cadets died tragically on the battlefield because of an airplane malfunction, and Mu Airen was furious. Late at night, some of the schoolchildren said that they saw the tall man Mu Airen, crying like a child at the training ground.
Everyone then understood Mu Airen's pain, even if the training volume is increasing day by day, the students have not been in the question this in the training ground fierce, but outside the school is a big grin, easy-going instructor.
The Chinese public has shown great reluctance to see Mu Airen and his fellow Flying Tigers go.
The SDUs fought side by side with Chinese soldiers and civilians
Mu Airen recalled that during the war period, due to the language barrier, many of the SDUs carried banners on the battlefield "to help China in the war."
Once the plane was shot down by the enemy in combat, the pilots would parachute out in an emergency. To a large extent, these pilots would be rescued by local people. They heal the Flying Tigers, bring out the most precious ingredients to entertain them, and after they are healed, send them back to the local government or the Flying Tigers' training ground.
Usually after a pilot jumps out of a plane, it is the enemy who comes to search for them. Armed with knives and guns, they broke into the homes of civilians and searched them, forcing the people to ask them about the whereabouts of the Flying Tigers. Most of the time, the people would become the target of the enemy's anger and even pay the price of their lives in order to save the pilots who were not easy to train. It was this unconditional mutual protection that allowed the Flying Tigers, who had fought side by side for many years, to conclude a deep emotional bond with the Chinese people and military.
Settled in China
Back in the United States, Mu Airen finally returned to China through hard work. Unlike the previous two times, he brought his wife with him this time. That's right, this big American man, who has a deep love for Chinese culture, convinced his family to settle in China.
The Chinese people were very supportive of his decision, and the local government even introduced them to a good job -- teaching at Concordia University in Fujian. You may wonder what he was teaching at the school when the war was over. Don't forget that after all these years of surviving in China, Mu Airen has perfected his Chinese.
He began his teaching career at the school, immersing himself in the Chinese cultural atmosphere of the library every day, his life, content and full. Soon after, a new life was welcomed into his family with the birth of his son, Peter Mu. The good times didn't last long, and the originally happy family of three was forced to return to the U.S. when their son was one year old because of a job transfer. Mu Airen late said the most regrettable thing, is not let his son grow up in China.
The love of the mountains and the sea, the mountains and the sea can be leveled
Fortunately, after growing up, Peter Mu still returned to China, he took his two daughters, settled in the historical and cultural Nanjing. His two daughters, at the request of their father, were named Mu Aizhong and Mu Aihua, which together have the meaning of love of China.
The sisters grew up in China, so to speak. They are blonde and blue-eyed, but like all Chinese children, they carry their backpacks to school every day and are immersed in Chinese culture.
Notably, the sisters stumbled upon an audition for an arts troupe, where they were accidentally introduced to opera performance, and thus embarked on a path of learning to perform.
Sister Aihua continued to study acting when she grew up and succeeded in becoming a presenter, now working in the talent-rich CCTV. Although her sister Aizhong chose to major in psychology, both sisters now live in China.
There are some people in today's society who we jokingly call "banana people". Although they have the yellow skin of Chinese children, they have the lifestyle of white people. They don't love Chinese soybean milk and doughnuts, but love coffee and bread. The opposite is true for Aichung and Aihua, who, despite their white appearance, are Chinese at heart.
Both sisters love Chinese food, especially tea. They drink a cup of it every day. In their spare time, they would always go to various teahouses in Beijing to taste different kinds of tea, and when they came across something that tasted good, they would pick some and bring it back to their father and grandfather for the whole family to savor together.
But the most Chinese-like part of their relationship is their love for traditional Chinese culture.
Aihua appeared on CCTV in 1995. Aihua was excited at the mention of it. She never imagined that she would one day be remembered on China's liveliest and grandest program, and it was one of the most memorable days of her life.
That day, the whole family crowded in front of the TV to watch Aihua's performance, and her grandfather, Mu Airen, even burst into tears at one point. His offspring, who loves and is rooted in China, is the proudest thing in his life. Asked what he thought of his granddaughter's statement that China is my home, the aging man responded proudly:That's my good boy!
Forced to return to the U.S. for treatment, he regretted it for the rest of his life
Time came in 2005, when Mu Airen suffered a heart attack, which terrified his family. Although everyone understood that Mu Airen did not want to leave China, but out of consideration for the safety of life, sent him back to the United States to receive treatment.
Mu Airen thus left China, where he had devoted half his life. When he came to his senses in his hospital bed in the United States, he understood the pain of his children and did not say anything about wanting to return to China. But he often read Chinese picture books in his hospital bed and recited the picturesque scenery of Wuyi Mountain.
Finally, Mu Airen died in an American hospital. He was in tears before his death, and he was not buried on Chinese soil to continue to protect the land.
However, his descendants all followed his teachings and continued to shine in the land of China. Whether it's Peter Mu or his two daughters, all of them are dedicated in their positions. They already love this land, and with Mu Airen's instructions, they have a deeper love for this land than we can imagine.
Peter Mu's family is still living in China today. The family would always do some charity activities in their spare time. They will send some picture books to the children in the orphanage, and they will buy winter clothes for the children in the mountainous areas. In their spare time, they also go into the mountains to volunteer as a teacher to tell stories to children who have never seen the outside world. Mu Airen's behavior, which permeates the family style, has profoundly affected this far-flung family.
Chinese culture is so profound that it attracts many foreigners to come and learn. Confucius Institutes are now, too, blossoming all over the world map. Our culture is recognized by more and more people who love and decide to stay in this beautiful country. We welcome everyone who genuinely loves Chinese culture, but we will not hesitate to take up arms in the face of aggressors. Under war, the Chinese people are united as one ****. Under this ****sense, the Chinese nation will be invulnerable and flourish.
We have been nurtured by Chinese culture since childhood, which tells us not to be a soft doddering grass, but to be a wild rose with a sharp edge, fragrant among the weeds.