Wartime brotherhood should be model for US-China peace

The legacy of the Flying Tigers, a volunteer air force of the United States that fought alongside China in World War II, was invoked as a powerful lesson in international cooperation by Nell Chennault Calloway, the granddaughter of its legendary founder, General Claire Lee Chennault.

Speaking at a Vision China event coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Calloway, who serves as CEO of the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum, shared her grandfather's story not merely as military history, but as a testament to a partnership forged in crisis that she said holds profound relevance today.

"Peace is not simply inherited; it must be renewed and defended by each generation," Calloway said.

She spoke about how Chennault first arrived in China in 1937. After witnessing the brutalities inflicted on the Chinese people, he made the decision to stay and offer his services.

"He didn't care about nationality, political affiliation or ideology. He cared about the men and women who were being tortured and raped at the hands of a ruthless enemy," she said. When the US government ordered all US troops home, Chennault refused and instead worked even harder to aid the Chinese.

His efforts were built on deep collaboration, Calloway said. With the help of hundreds of Chinese citizens, he established an early warning system to alert both aircraft and civilians of incoming attacks. He also started aviation schools across the country, while thousands of local Chinese worked day and night to repair runways bombed by enemy forces.

In 1941, he officially formed the American Volunteer Group, known as the Flying Tigers, whose combat records remain unparalleled. This partnership, Calloway stressed, was a bond between people united by a shared cause. "They fought not just as allies, but as brothers."

Calloway quoted from her grandfather's writing to illustrate his belief in diplomacy over war.

"As a practicing warrior for many years, I am convinced of the complete futility of war," Chennault wrote. "It settles only problems of the past and creates the new problems of the future." He saw beyond the divisions of his time, adding, "There is no place in the world today for the narrow, competitive nationalism that sparks the tinder of war. My long experience as an airman has taught me the folly of the artificial borders of political states."

This spirit of cooperation, Calloway said, is the moral foundation of the World War II alliance and should guide policies today, favoring long-term thinking over short-term political gain. The alliance, she noted, is a reminder of what is possible and what is worth preserving.

Calloway concluded with another of her grandfather's insights, framing it as a challenge for the present day.

"It is harder to maintain peace than to fight a war," she quoted, urging that carrying her grandfather's legacy forward is "not just an act of remembrance but an act of hope", and she called for honoring the legacy with will, action and, most of all, unity.