Descendants of Doolittle Raiders visit Quzhou, celebrate China
Descendants of the Doolittle Raiders visited Quzhou, Zhejiang province, from Tuesday to Thursday to commemorate a rescue of their downed fathers in an emergency landing in 1942.
During the trip, a delegation of the descendants, including Susan Ozark, daughter of Lt. Charles Ozark, William Ross Comptonberg and George Duncan Comptonberg, Lieutenant Rodney R. Wilder's two grandsons, participated in cultural exchange activities. They visited historical sites and attended memorial ceremonies to remember their forebears and express their gratitude to the bravery and kindness of the Quzhou people.
Susan Ozark (L), daughter of Doolittle Raider Charles Ozark, hugs with Liao Mingfa, son of Liao Shiyuan, on April 17, 2024. In 1942, Quzhou villager Liao Shiyuan rescued and took care of the injured Charles Ozark after the Doolittle Raid in 1942. [Photo/Xinhua]
In 1942, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. launched the Doolittle Raid, the first air raid to strike the Japanese main islands. After bombing Tokyo and other Japanese cities, the pilots faced fuel shortages and bad weather. Many were forced to eject over the Chinese provinces of Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Fujian.
Local Chinese, upon learning of the pilots' mission, launched a massive rescue operation. Despite significant risks, they helped 64 of the 80 airmen escape to safety, many of whom finding refuge in Quzhou. This act of bravery and kindness was a focal point of the visit.
A major part of the visit was centered on the Doolittle Raid Rescue Memorial Museum in Quzhou, which opened in 2018. The museum features an extensive collection of exhibits related to the raid, including photographs, aircraft debris, and personal accounts, offering visitors a comprehensive view of the military operation and the rescue.
Descendants of Doolittle Raiders visit the Jiangshan City Archives in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, on April 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
The delegation also visited Fangyuan village, where the Comptonberg brothers unveiled a commemorative monument at their grandfather’s parachute landing site. In Longtoudian village, Susan Ozark visited the house where her father was sheltered, exchanging gifts with the descendants of those who helped him.
They also attended a donation ceremony at the Jiangshan City Archives, and donated historical documents, wartime reports, and magazines from 1942 that covered the raid to the archive.
Related articles
Laurence Fox livestreams row with London bus driver after car and double
Lawrence Fox has been seen shouting at a bus driver after being involved in car collision on Saturda2024-06-03China releases report on global meteorological development in 2023
A staff member explains the working principle of a meteorological observation instrument to students2024-06-03Yang sets national record in women's 100m freestyle
Yang Junxuan set a national record to win the women's 100m freestyle in China's national swi2024-06-03Strawberry Music Festival to be held at Beijing Expo Park
The 2023 Strawberry Music Festival, a music gala to be held in Beijing from April 28 to May 1. [phot2024-06-03Sarah Hyland reveals husband Wells Adams called her Little Shop of Horrors voice 'very sexual'
Sarah Hyland said she was surprised by her husband's reaction to her latest Broadway role. The Moder2024-06-03Thailand's foreign minister abruptly resigns after being dropped as deputy prime minister
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s foreign minister abruptly resigned in dissatisfaction over a Cabinet reshu2024-06-03
atest comment