“Make yourself at home. Welcome back home anytime.”
On April 17, 2024, Susann, a descendant of the Doolittle Raiders, visited Jiangshan, a county-level city in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, where the family of the local villager Liao Shiyuan tenderly attended her injured father 82 years ago.
Liao Mingfa (son of Liao Shiyuan, a villager in Longtoudian Village): Back then, supplies were scarce, but for the rescued pilots, we were willing to give our best food to ensure their comfort and recovery.
Susann (daughter of Charles Ozuk, navigator on Crew No.3 of the Doolittle Raid): “The egg noodles are very delicious. If only my father had brought back this recipe, we could have enjoyed it in the States as well.”
“You have the keys to our house. Feel free to come back often.”
Susann (daughter of Charles Ozuk, navigator on Crew No.3 of the Doolittle Raid) : “My father always said ‘Happy Landing’ fondly whenever he recalled the time in Liao’s home. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for making his landing there so pleasant.”
Liao Mingfa (son of Liao Shiyuan, a villager in Longtoudian Village): Here are the keys. Make yourself at home whenever you visit.
Susann (daughter of Charles Ozuk, navigator on Crew No.3 of the Doolittle Raid): “Since that fateful night in 1942, when my father was found and taken to your home, you have been my brothers and friends.”
（American pilots posed for photos in front of the air raid shelter at the 13th Air Station in Quzhou）
On April 18, 1942, after a bombing raid on Japan, the bomber fleet, having run out of fuel, had to parachute their way down, and landed in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and other provinces.
On April 16, 2024, a ceremony was held on a mountainside in the Fangyuan Village, Daqiao Town, Jiangshan City. Descendants of the Doolittle Raiders and the local residents gathered to witness the dedication ceremony of the Doolittle Raid Wilder Landing Site Marker, commemorating the landing site where Rodney Ross Wilder, co-pilot of Flight 5, bailed out and was rescued by villager Mao Guangxiao 82 years ago.
April 18, 2024 marked the official opening of the “Friendship Forged in Blood and Fire – The Theme Exhibition of the Quzhou Rescue of the Doolittle Raiders” at the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid in this city with a remarkable array of precious relics displayed for the first time on a large scale.
As Tracy Dianne Kantenberger, the representative of the children of the Doolittle Raiders, visited the exhibition, she learned with great sorrow that the brutal reprisals from the Japanese army after the Doolittle Raid had led to the tragic loss of 250,000 innocent Chinese civilian lives. With grief, tears streamed down her face.
“As a history teacher, I was familiar with the Doolittle Raid, but I had no idea of the immense sacrifice made by the Chinese people, which deeply moved me. This history transcends time and serves as a bridge of friendship between the United States and China.”
Behind the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid, there lies the dedication and hard work of a group of historical researchers from Quzhou.
Over the past two decades, a group of Quzhou locals from diverse professions have gathered spontaneously to reproduce the heartwarming moments of Chinese civilians rescuing American pilots.
A shovelful of soil, a bucket of water, the tree of friendship sprouting new buds
Ou April 19, 2024, Liu Meiyuan couple and descendants of the Doolittle Raiders, Susann Ozuk, George Duncan Kantenberger along with his wife, traveled to Quzhou No.2 High School to award the18 winners of the “2023 Doolittle Raiders" English essay contest.
Click the link to watch the video：
http://m.cztv.com/h5/news/10350858
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