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Wu Qiyao, 92, was a pilot of the Flying Tigers volunteer group that helped fend off Japanese attacks in China during the World War II. Now sitting in the wheelchair, the veteran pilot still remembers his sorties in the war. He spent the last 30 years writing letters trying to get replacements of his hero medals awarded him at the end of the war. He finally got them in 2009.
Before sitting down to reminisce about his father’s war experiences, Wu Yuan showed me a large pack of letters and photos. Wu Yuan said his father has donated quite a few precious cultural relics to the state, including two Leica cameras, which are worth over 600,000 yuan at online auction websites.
His son Wu Yuan relates the following legendary story of the veteran pilot.
Shortly after his graduation from Huangpu Military Academy in 1936, Wu Qiyao joined the Chinese resistance against Japanese invasion into China. In 1941, flight lieutenant Wu Qiyao was assigned to the Flying Tigers under the command of Claire Lee Chennault.
In the squadrons, American and Chinese pilots worked together. Working with the flying tigers in the war, Wu Qiyao flew more than 800 hours and he was downed three times by Japanese.
Japanese planes waged an assault on Chengdu Airport on June 22, 1941. Wu Qiyao and his captain and colleagues flew six training planes to Guangyuan Airport. They ran into four kamikaze fighters at Kuaihuolin over the Minjiang River. Wu Qiyao’s plane was hit by enemy planes and plunged about 40 meters down into the river. Wu was wounded and his plane was belly up in the river. An enemy plane dived and dropped a few bombs. The engine of Wu’s plane caught fire, burning the river water hot. He was rescued by local villagers and rushed to a village hospital. A day later, a helicopter came and transferred him to a military hospital. He got hit by four bullets and his sciatic nerve was severed. Even today, his thigh looks black. He took more than a year to recover at Guangyuan before he went back to battles in the sky.
In the spring of 1943, Wu Qiyao flew a Curtiss P-40 on a sortie to strike Japanese troops in Xiangtan, Hunan Province. His fighter was whacked by the Japanese antiaircraft artillery. He brought the plane back to Zhijiang Airport safely. From July 1943 on, Chinese Air Force worked on a large scale with the US 14th Air Force under the command of General Chennault. They organized air raids, targeting Japanese forces in big cities under Japanese occupation such as Wuhan, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Guilin.
On April 12, 1945, Wu and his fellow pilots assaulted the Japanese ground targets at Wuchang Railway Station. With an engine and the nose-gear destroyed in the sortie, he managed to fly back and crash-landed the fighter on a riverbed in Chenxi County about 120 km away from Zhijiang Airport.
At the signing ceremony of Japanese surrender in China Theater held at the auditorium of the Central Military Academy in Nanjing, China on September 9, 1945, Wu and fellow pilots in his squadron sat in the first row, witnessing the historical moment. Wu Qiyao was a squadron commander in the US 14th Air Force. They had carried Imai Takeo, a Japanese representative, to attend the ceremony and sign the surrender documents.
After World War II, Wu Qiyao received three medals from the Supreme Allied Command. Wu’s honors included an Air Force Cross, an Aerial Achievement Medal, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
The three medals got lost more than 30 years ago, among other precious things. Wu Qiyao has had three wishes in his evening years: to find the rescuers at Kuaihuolin, to find his rescuers at Chenxi, to get replacements of his three medals.
From 1980 on, he began to search for his rescuers and write letters to those who might help him. He wrote more than 100 letters in English before he had a stroke in 2005. After the stroke, his son Wu Yuan took dictation from his father and wrote more letters. Letters were sent out to various people including the military attaché at the US general consulate in Hong Kong. He either received no reply or received no help. It was not until May, 2009 that he got a reply. The Association of Veteran Pilots of the Fifth Group in Denver, Colorado wrote back. The US Air Force was going to reissue him an Air Force Cross and an Aerial Achievement Medal.
Wu Qiyao had looked eagerly forward to the arrival of the two medals for about five months before a postal package notice from the local post office arrived at the door on October 29, 2009. Along with the two medals was a letter from US Air Force, citing the flight lieutenant’s excellent contribution and superior flying skills which brought great honors not only to himself but also to the famed Flying Tigers.
Wu Qiyao donated the military medals to the Memorial Museum of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression on 29, December, 2009. China Daily carried a photo of him at the donating ceremony. □
Before sitting down to reminisce about his father’s war experiences, Wu Yuan showed me a large pack of letters and photos. Wu Yuan said his father has donated quite a few precious cultural relics to the state, including two Leica cameras, which are worth over 600,000 yuan at online auction websites.
His son Wu Yuan relates the following legendary story of the veteran pilot.
Shortly after his graduation from Huangpu Military Academy in 1936, Wu Qiyao joined the Chinese resistance against Japanese invasion into China. In 1941, flight lieutenant Wu Qiyao was assigned to the Flying Tigers under the command of Claire Lee Chennault.
In the squadrons, American and Chinese pilots worked together. Working with the flying tigers in the war, Wu Qiyao flew more than 800 hours and he was downed three times by Japanese.
Japanese planes waged an assault on Chengdu Airport on June 22, 1941. Wu Qiyao and his captain and colleagues flew six training planes to Guangyuan Airport. They ran into four kamikaze fighters at Kuaihuolin over the Minjiang River. Wu Qiyao’s plane was hit by enemy planes and plunged about 40 meters down into the river. Wu was wounded and his plane was belly up in the river. An enemy plane dived and dropped a few bombs. The engine of Wu’s plane caught fire, burning the river water hot. He was rescued by local villagers and rushed to a village hospital. A day later, a helicopter came and transferred him to a military hospital. He got hit by four bullets and his sciatic nerve was severed. Even today, his thigh looks black. He took more than a year to recover at Guangyuan before he went back to battles in the sky.
In the spring of 1943, Wu Qiyao flew a Curtiss P-40 on a sortie to strike Japanese troops in Xiangtan, Hunan Province. His fighter was whacked by the Japanese antiaircraft artillery. He brought the plane back to Zhijiang Airport safely. From July 1943 on, Chinese Air Force worked on a large scale with the US 14th Air Force under the command of General Chennault. They organized air raids, targeting Japanese forces in big cities under Japanese occupation such as Wuhan, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Guilin.
On April 12, 1945, Wu and his fellow pilots assaulted the Japanese ground targets at Wuchang Railway Station. With an engine and the nose-gear destroyed in the sortie, he managed to fly back and crash-landed the fighter on a riverbed in Chenxi County about 120 km away from Zhijiang Airport.
At the signing ceremony of Japanese surrender in China Theater held at the auditorium of the Central Military Academy in Nanjing, China on September 9, 1945, Wu and fellow pilots in his squadron sat in the first row, witnessing the historical moment. Wu Qiyao was a squadron commander in the US 14th Air Force. They had carried Imai Takeo, a Japanese representative, to attend the ceremony and sign the surrender documents.
After World War II, Wu Qiyao received three medals from the Supreme Allied Command. Wu’s honors included an Air Force Cross, an Aerial Achievement Medal, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.
The three medals got lost more than 30 years ago, among other precious things. Wu Qiyao has had three wishes in his evening years: to find the rescuers at Kuaihuolin, to find his rescuers at Chenxi, to get replacements of his three medals.
From 1980 on, he began to search for his rescuers and write letters to those who might help him. He wrote more than 100 letters in English before he had a stroke in 2005. After the stroke, his son Wu Yuan took dictation from his father and wrote more letters. Letters were sent out to various people including the military attaché at the US general consulate in Hong Kong. He either received no reply or received no help. It was not until May, 2009 that he got a reply. The Association of Veteran Pilots of the Fifth Group in Denver, Colorado wrote back. The US Air Force was going to reissue him an Air Force Cross and an Aerial Achievement Medal.
Wu Qiyao had looked eagerly forward to the arrival of the two medals for about five months before a postal package notice from the local post office arrived at the door on October 29, 2009. Along with the two medals was a letter from US Air Force, citing the flight lieutenant’s excellent contribution and superior flying skills which brought great honors not only to himself but also to the famed Flying Tigers.
Wu Qiyao donated the military medals to the Memorial Museum of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression on 29, December, 2009. China Daily carried a photo of him at the donating ceremony. □