By Tom Pauken II.
The city of Quzhou, with a population of a little more than 2 million and located in east China’s Zhejiang Province, supports a thriving tourism sector that celebrates ancient Chinese architecture and culture.
It’s home to the Temple of Nankong or Temple of Southern Confucianism, which is one of only two officially-recognized ancestral Confucian family temples in the world. The other one can be found in Qufu, east China’s Shandong Province, which is the birthplace of Confusius (551-479 BC), a famous Chinese philosopher and teacher.
Quzhou also offers many other historical attractions, while visitors from the United States are best advised to take a quick excursion to the Doolittle Raid Memorial Hall, which pays special tribute to American fighter pilots who bombed Tokyo in retaliation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during the WWII.
According to historical accounts, 80 Doolittle Raiders launched America’s first successful air strikes on Japan’s capital city on April 18, 1942, led by Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.) James Doolittle.
But 15 of the 16 B-52 Bombers either crashed into the sea or into mountainous areas of east China's Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Fujian provinces on their flight to China after bombing and could not reach their assigned destination at Quzhou International Airport.
64 of the 75 Doolittle raiders were rescued by local Chinese residents when found stranded in the mountains. 51 of them were at or near Quzhou. The Chinese helped to guide them back to safety at the Quzhou airport, while seriously wounded American piolts were treated with great care and compassion.
American survivors of the Doolittle Raid and their descendants had never forgotten the deep kindness of the Chinese rescuers. Lt. Col. Doolittle penned a letter expressing his gratitude to mark the 50th anniversary of the event.
"On behalf of all members of the Doolittle Bomber Squadron Association, I sincerely appreciate our Chinese friends - those who risked their own lives and the lives of their families to rescue and take care of us!" according to materials provided by the Information Office of Quzhou government.
The story doesn’t end there. In October 2018, the Doolittle Raid Memorial Hall opened up in Quzhou. The site is built like a museum and visitors can take a closer look at historical artifacts. A delegation of 24 members from the Children of Doolittle Raiders were welcomed to participate in its grand opening ceremony.
The Memorial Hall has an interesting interior design, giving you the impression that you are walking into a cave, which serves as a stark reminder that the American survivors found near Quzhou could have been found in similar surroundings.
The Memorial Hall showcases over 200 historical photos and nearly 200 artifacts connected to the Doolittle Raid, such as models of the USS Hornet aircraft carrier and B-25 bombers, as well as replicated newspapers reporting on the mission.
Additionally, local residents have contributed to the museum, including local historian and collector Zheng Weiyong, who has donated items that include the Doolittle Raid survivors' signed crash relics.
Thomas Carson Griffin, the son of a member from the Doolittle Raid's Crew 9, donated his father's treasured artifacts, such as a blood chit, hoping that the friendship solidified in wartime can forever be remembered by people from both countries.
The local residents rescuing them under harrowing conditions didn’t do such actions to earn fame and fortune. They saw Americans surviving a plane crash and in urgent need of help. The Chinese saved their lives and those survivors have never forgotten.
The Doolittle Memorial Hall serves as a testament that the Chinese and Americans can find ways for developing friendly relations. For American visitors to Quzhou, the Memorial Hall is a must see.
