[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 158 (Tuesday, November 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF THE CHINA ASSOCIATION FOR 
  EXPEDITION (CAE) AND THE SINO AMERICAN AVIATION HERITAGE FOUNDATION 
   (SAAHF) IN THE DISCOVERY AND RECOVERY OF A HISTORIC P-40 AIRCRAFT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DEVIN NUNES

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 4, 2003

  Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to recognize and 
celebrate the collaborative efforts of the China Association for 
Expedition (CAE) and the Sino American Aviation Heritage Foundation 
(SAAHF) in the discovery and recovery of a historic P-40 aircraft that 
will forever bind America to China.
  At the end of 1941, the Japanese military occupied much of China. As 
the world was consumed by the spread of global war, a group of American 
pilots valiantly fought to free China from the grip of Imperial Japan. 
This volunteer group of young men was called the American Volunteer 
Group, or the AVG. The pilots in the AVG were some of the first 
Americans to experience combat against the Japanese in World War II. 
Their brave and fearless acts earned this group the respect of friends 
and foes alike. Their heroic deeds and dedication to the defense of the 
Chinese people would eventually fly them into the annals of history 
immortalized forever as the legendary ``Flying Tigers''.
  On April 28, 1942, a Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighter plane piloted by 
John Blackburn of the AVG mysteriously crashed into Lake Dianchi in 
Yunan, China. The lake bottom would be its resting place where it was 
nearly forgotten for over 60 years in the cold waters--slowly rusting 
away. It was not until 1997, when a group of Chinese and American 
military veterans and aviation enthusiasts teamed together in an 
unprecedented demonstration of American-Chinese relations, to locate, 
recover and restore this plane. On November 15, 2003, Americans and 
Chinese will once again join forces to commemorate the recovery of John 
Blackburn's P-40 from its murky grave.
  This priceless piece of aviation history is thought to be the only 
surviving P-40 fighter aircraft belonging to the Flying Tigers. This 
war bird once protected the skies of China from a ruthless and 
determined enemy, and flew in support of Chinese airmen, soldiers, 
guerrilla fighters and civilians. Piloted by young Americans ready to 
sacrifice their lives to protect the people of China at a moment's 
notice yet steadfast in its mission to conquer a common enemy. This P-
40 fighter plane symbolizes not only the great spirit of cooperation 
and trust, but also the mutual respect that existed between the 
American and Chinese people during World War II.
  Mr. Speaker, I would again like to recognize the efforts between our 
two countries in the recovery of this historically valuable aircraft. 
But even more importantly, this endeavor grants the opportunity for 
citizens in both our great countries to rekindle this legacy of 
goodwill, hope, inspiration and trust.

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