Mainland's last Flying Tiger gravely ill
Updated: 2014-09-26 07:28
By JI JIN(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
Long Qiming, 91, the only remaining Flying Tiger pilot on the mainland, is seriously ill and on a respirator at a hospital in Chongqing. XINHUA |
Chris Coonan, a US citizen who has stayed in Chongqing for five years, now runs a bar where Long often liked drinking Scotch whisky while telling war stories.
"As an old friend of Long, I am deeply influenced by him. He loves his country very much," said Coonan, adding that Long's contribution to China is huge and admired.
In 2005, Long and two other Flying Tigers pilots were invited to attend the ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).
Over the past nine years, the other two have passed away, leaving Long as the only Flying Tiger on the Chinese mainland.
Long has received another invitation to attend the 70th anniversary next year.
"He really wants to recover so that he can witness the ceremony," said Dai Qingbiao, Long's best friend.
Long's wife is also in bad physical condition.
They have nine children. Two of them have died and five are now in Chongqing taking care of their parents.
Long Jun, their seventh child, said his father has always been strict, but he admires his father as a hero.
Wang Luoyong, a film director, was quoted as saying that he had come to Chongqing three times to learn about Long's story.
He plans to tell the world the story in TV series, films or musicals. "He is a national treasure and people should know about his legend," the director said.
Zhang Yu contributed to this story
- Flying Tiger relics land in Chongqing museum
- Last famous Flying Tiger on mainland dies at 92
- Senior American 'Flying Tiger' pilot returns to China
- Flying Tiger veterans visit battle relics in China
- Son of US veteran seeks 'Flying Tiger' remains in South China
- (From left to right) Former Chinese pilot He Peimao poses with Flying Tiger veterans John richard Rossi, Eriksen E.Shilling, robert james Raine and Richard Chester Macke, the former commander of U
- China-India bilateral meeting at UN
- UN high-level meeting on Ebola
- Rice alumni get insider tour of China
- China Eastern gets 1st B777
- FM calls for new steps in fight against terror
- Chunhui Cup takes on China's 'brain drain'
- Celebrity sculptures become property ambassadors
- Top 10 richest individuals in China
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Alibaba - Journey of the tech giant |
Top 10 cheapest new energy cars promoted in China |
11th China-ASEAN Expo |
Go Wuxi: Canal city in transition |
Budding businesses of the digital age |
Top 10 most used desktop instant messaging tools |
Today's Top News
China, US militaries working to build trust
Joint institute will take on water pollution
Experts cautious on Modi's US trip
China, Spain to ink $4b deals
PLA vows to root out abuse of power
Trial begins for ex-energy official
China to send 700 peacekeepers to South Sudan
China's FM calls for anti-terror 'new thinking'
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |