Lauding heroes of the skies

For those familiar with World War II, any mention of the "Flying Tigers" will conjure up images of bravery in battle.

The legendary US air squadron helped the Chinese forces fight the Japanese invaders and notched impressive victories that continue to inspire.

Anyone who wants to know more about the pilots and their stories in China can head to the Zhijiang Dong autonomous county in Huaihua, Hunan province.

The county is the former training base for the Flying Tigers. It now hosts a memorial to the squadron with about 1,387 of its historical artifacts that are on public display.

Zhijiang Airport was an important base for the Flying Tigers under the leadership of Claire Lee Chennault, a retired US Army Air Corps officer who started working in China in 1937.

The memorial had received precious items from surviving members of the Flying Tigers and their families, including Anna Chan Chennault, wife of Claire Lee Chennault.

"The cultural relics of the memorial will help younger generations remember the proud history of the Flying Tigers and cherish the peace that did not come easy," said Wu Jianhong, curator of the county's Memorial Hall for Japan's Surrender.

The 1st American Volunteer Group, which the Chinese nicknamed the "Flying Tigers" for their courage, was formed in 1941 to help China drive out the invading Japanese troops.

About 2,264 Flying Tigers and more than 900 Chinese airmen who fought alongside them died in the war.

The memorial is touted as the only one of its kind that commemorates General Chennault and his American Volunteer Group and their stories.