On September 13, the Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA, will host the premiere of Their Memory Lives, a new documentary chronicling the original “Flying Tigers,” the American Volunteer Group (AVG), who served in China during World War II. The film draws on archival photographs and video interviews with descendants of AVG pilots and support crews to tell the story of the roughly 100 American volunteer pilots and their multinational support team. Assembled in China before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, this small group played a pivotal role in resisting Japanese advances in southern China during early 1942.
Following the one-hour screening, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an open discussion with the filmmakers and several Flying Tigers descendants featured in the film. The 2 p.m. program is included with museum admission. The Museum also hosts a permanent Flying Tigers exhibition, showcasing a P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft and numerous artifacts donated by members of the Flying Tigers community.
Background on Their Memory Lives Lydia Rossi, widow of Flying Tiger ace Dick Rossi and executive director of the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers (AVG) — the organization that sponsored the documentary — notes that 20 of the AVG pilots became aces in just seven months of combat. She added that the Museum of Flight was chosen for the premiere due to its professional and extensive World War II displays, including AVG-specific artifacts.
Producer Jerry Kalman said the film offers compelling personal remembrances from relatives of the Flying Tigers, highlighting the crucial early actions led by Claire Lee Chennault, while providing intimate glimpses into the pilots’ experiences during the onset of World War II. He emphasized that the oral history serves as a reminder of past cooperation between the United States and China during a critical period, illustrating how the two nations worked together to halt the advance of fascism in Asia.
The American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers Association (AVGFTA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Flying Tigers. The group educates the public about the pilots and ground crew who defended southern China, and its members include family and friends of the original 300 men and women who flew and maintained the P-40 Tomahawk/Warhawk aircraft during the war. For more information about this event, visit www.museumofflight.org.
