Our WWII Memories: A fragment that bridged generations and nations

On April 18, 1942, the U.S. launched operation Doolittle Raid to strike back against Japan after Pearl Harbor. The bombers conducted raids on Tokyo and other Japanese cities, then crash-landed in China's Quzhou, where local villagers risked their lives to rescue the downed American pilots, thus forging a bond of courage and gratitude that endured for decades. 

In 2008, Doolittle Raider William Bower had one last wish: to get hold of a piece of his wartime aircraft again. His son reached out to Quzhou researcher Zheng Weiyong on behalf of his elderly father. It was Zheng who eventually recovered a metal fragment of the bomber's wreckage and sent it to the U.S. – a heartfelt act of kindness that continues to inspire warmth and friendship. 

Does your family have a story of courage and survival in World War II? Share it with CGTN's global campaign, "Echoes of History: Our WWII Memories," and help keep personal histories alive for the world to hold on to.