On April 18, 1942, at the height of World War II, the U.S. launched its first air attack on Japan’s home islands in the wake of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. This operation, known as the Doolittle Raid, is more than just a retaliatory military action. As part of the Allied response to Axis aggression, the raid symbolized international resistance to fascism, an effort in which China played an active role. It sparked not only a military connection but a moral bond between Chinese civilians and American airmen.
In Quzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, a special memorial hall has been set up in the city’s historical quarter. The Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid provides a panoramic record of the mission with panels, exhibits and visuals, offering a vivid reconstruction of this historic event while also shedding light on the lifesaving bond forged between the American airmen and the Quzhou locals. According to the original plan, the 80 crew members aboard the 16 U.S. bombers were to land at Quzhou Airport following their bombing mission led by the then U.S. Army Air Corps Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle. As they were unable to establish contact with the designated airport on their return, 75 of them were forced to crash-land in the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi. Among the 75 American airmen, 64 were rescued by local Chinese people.
Behind this heroic chapter of history lies a heavier and more tragic page. The people of Quzhou and neighboring areas not only repaired the airport in preparation for the mission and rescued American pilots during it, but also bore immense sacrifices in its aftermath. 64 was the number of the Doolittle Raiders rescued by the Chinese people, while 250,000 was the number of Chinese civilians killed in the Japanese retaliation. In the autumn of 1942, just months after the Doolittle Raid, the Japanese military launched the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign, aiming to seize strategic locations such as Quzhou Airport. They carried out a scorched-earth policy and unleashed large-scale biological warfare. China’s suffering became part of the global cost of resisting fascism. With shared sacrifice and a common purpose, China and the U.S. stood united in the fight against Japanese aggression.
The memory of heroism and compassion was reconstructed in the three-episode documentary series Tracing Doolittle. This series documents the efforts from the Chinese side — how like-minded seekers have dedicated themselves to exploring the history of the Doolittle Raid and its connection to Quzhou, preserving this invaluable historical legacy. It also records how the bond born from the mission has echoed through history, exemplified by the descendants of the Doolittle Raiders. Susan Ozuk, daughter of Charles Ozuk, the navigator of Bomber No. 3, shared heartfelt embraces with the descendants of her father’s rescuers when she had the chance to visit the mountain village, fulfilling her father’s long-held wish.
On April 9, 2019, Richard Cole, the last of the Doolittle Raiders, passed away at the age of 103. However, the legacy of compassion and friendship did not fade with their passing from the stage of history. On the day the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid officially opened, children and friends of the Doolittle Raiders attended the ceremony. It has since become a vital platform for strengthening China-U.S. friendship, promoting international cultural exchange, and honoring the legacy of the anti-fascist alliance.
The bond forged in the fires of anti-fascist struggle is something worth recalling today. Both the Chinese and American peoples cherish peace and pursue prosperity. Our histories, cultures, social systems, and development paths differ, yet our shared aspiration for a better future has long enabled us to set aside such differences and build deep friendship. In times of war, China and the U.S. once fought side by side; in times of peace, we should stand as partners. Together, we share the responsibility to safeguard the hard-won victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.
The Doolittle Raid remains a significant chapter in the global fight against fascism, one such story that reminds us that friendship and compassion can shape history and last forever. It also serves as a reminder to the whole world, as we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the World Anti-fascist War victory, that China’s role in the anti-fascist struggle deserves greater global recognition, not just as a victim, but as a partner in victory. At a time when bilateral trust is in short supply and Sino-U.S. relations are sometimes strained, revisiting such moments offers a historical foundation on which goodwill, friendship, and cooperation can be built.
