A student poses for a photo with Jeffrey Greene (right) (Photo taken by reporter Gao Wushuang).

The school presented Jeffrey Greene (left) with a cultural and creative gift featuring distinctive Yunnan features (Photo taken by reporter Gao Wushuang).

Jeffrey Greene (right) shares the stories of Chinese and American pilots at the Kunming Flying Tigers Museum (Photo taken by reporter Gao Wushuang).

On June 25, the "Flying Tigers Bond—Plaque Awarding Ceremony & Dialogue for the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools and Youth Leadership Program" was held in Kunming. Jeffrey Greene, president of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, presented plaques to Mengzi No.1 High School, Dali No.1 High School, Xishuangbanna No.1 Middle School, Baoshan No.1 Middle School, and Lushui No.1 Middle School. Before the ceremony, Greene donned a commemorative Flying Tigers leather jacket and presented jackets to the principals of the "Flying Tigers Friendship Schools." "We are all members of the Flying Tigers family now," he said with a smile.

Founded in 1998, the SinoAmerican Aviation Heritage Foundation has spent nearly three decades promoting friendship and people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States. So far, seven schools in Yunnan have joined the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools network. Wang Yu, Executive Vice President of the Yunnan Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said she hopes to see more exchanges between teachers and students, academic exchanges, and cultural programs between the two sides—opportunities for young Americans and Chinese to get to know each other, learn from one another, and build lasting friendships, all while keeping the Flying Tigers spirit alive for generations to come.

"The Flying Tigers story began in Yunnan, which makes this place especially meaningful," Greene said. He has returned to Yunnan many times to keep that story alive..

In 2023, President Xi Jinping, in a reply letter to Greene and Flying Tigers veterans Moyer and McMullen, he noted that the sound and steady development of China-U.S. relations relations in the new era requires the participation and support of a new generation of Flying Tigers. He expressed his hope that the Flying Tigers spirit would be passed down from generation to generation by the peoples of the two countries. The same year, Greene, Moyer, McMullen, and descendants of Flying Tigers veterans traveled to several Chinese cities to revisit the shared history and renew their friendship. In Kunming, the veterans and local children sang "Auld Lang Syne" together, a song that transcended time and borders, and moving everyone present.

Greene said the Flying Tigers represent a precious spiritual legacy, one built on genuine friendship, fearless spirit of sacrifice, and the power of unity, and it must be carried forward. "The history of the Flying Tigers reminds us that even in humanity's darkest hours, people can still set aside fear and choose compassion,  rise above self-preservation and hold fast to what is right," he said.

Greene recalled the faces of the Flying Tigers veterans he accompanied on their visits to China years ago. They all wore the same expression. He was puzzled at first, but it soon became clear: it was pride. "They saw their own legacy in today's China and understood that what they did back then had helped shape the country's development," Greene said. He observed that many Europeans and Americans are now largely unfamiliar with the Flying Tigers story. The Flying Tigers Friendship Schools and Youth Leadership Program, he explained, is designed to introduce young people in China and the United States to that history through cultural, artistic, sports, and other exchange activities, and to help them appreciate the meaning of courage, kindness, and justice.

He believes that as two major countries in the world, the United States and China can and should step up their cooperation, with broad scope for collaboration in agriculture, science, business, aerospace, and beyond. And what he wants to convey to the younger generation in both countries, he said, is a message of peace, cooperation, and unity.

"To me, the Flying Tigers spirit means stepping up when it counts, cherishing peace, and embracing unity and friendship," said Qiao Jinyang, a student at Baoshan No.1 Middle School. She said that when she visited museums and historical sites before, she had heard about the Flying Tigers, but it always felt like a grand and distant piece of history. Through this exchange, she came to realize that many of the Flying Tigers pilots were around her age when they came to China. She was deeply moved by the story of how the Chinese and American peoples fought side by side in those years. "Our generation must take up the torch of the Flying Tigers spirit and serve as a bridge of friendship of friendship between China and the United States," she said.

Liu Deqing, a student at Dali No.1 High School, shared similar sentiments. He said the sacrifices made by those who came before him had brought peace to his hometown, which made him all the more appreciative of life today. With his school now designated as a Flying Tigers Friendship School, he said, there will be more opportunities for international exchanges in the future. He looks forward to making American friends, introducing them to Dali's history, sharing China's latest tech products, and having conversations about what life is like today.

As the event came to a close, school representatives exchanged souvenirs with Greene. Dali No.1 High School presented a tie-dye artwork featuring the theme of "water," symbolizing the hope that China-U.S. friendship, like a river, would flow on and on, from generation to generation. To the strains of "Auld Lang Syne," everyone clasped one another's hands.

学生与杰弗里·格林（右）合影留念。记者高吴双/摄

学校赠予杰弗里·格林（左）独具云南特色的文创礼物。记者高吴双/摄

杰弗里·格林（右）在昆明飞虎队纪念馆讲述中国飞行员与美国飞行员的故事。记者高吴双/摄

6月25日，“飞虎情缘——飞虎队友谊学校暨青年领袖计划”授牌仪式暨对话会在昆明举办。美中航空遗产基金会主席杰弗里·格林向蒙自市第一中学、大理第一中学、西双版纳傣族自治州第一中学、保山第一中学、泸水市第一中学授牌。授牌仪式前，格林特意穿上了纪念版飞虎队皮夹克，并向“飞虎队友谊学校”的校长们赠送了夹克。“我们都是飞虎队大家庭的成员了。”他高兴地说。

1998年，美中航空遗产基金会成立。此后的近30年里，基金会一直致力于促进中美友好交流。目前，云南已有7所学校加入“飞虎队友谊学校”。云南省人民对外友好协会专职副会长王宇说，希望中美双方开展更多师生互访、学术交流、文化体验等活动，让两国青少年在相识相知中增进理解，在互学互鉴中建立友谊，让飞虎队精神薪火相传。

“飞虎队的故事由云南开始，这里意义非凡。”格林说，为了传播飞虎队的故事，他已一次又一次踏上云南的土地。

2023年，习近平主席复信格林和飞虎队老兵莫耶、麦克马伦时指出，新时期中美关系的健康稳定发展，需要新时期飞虎队员的参与和支持，希望飞虎队精神能够在两国人民之间一代一代传承下去。同年，格林、莫耶、麦克马伦及飞虎队老兵后人组成代表团来到中国多个城市，重温历史，共叙友谊。在昆明，飞虎队老兵与孩子们共同唱起《友谊地久天长》，跨越时空的歌声让人动容。

格林说，飞虎队是一笔宝贵的精神财富，它饱含真挚的友谊与无畏的牺牲精神，见证了团结的力量，需要被传承下去。“飞虎队的历史启示我们，纵使身处人类的至暗时刻，人们依然可以放下恐惧，选择悲悯，抛开自保，坚守信义。”

格林还记得早年陪同飞虎队老兵访华时的情景——他们脸上都带着同一种神情。他起初疑惑，后来才明白，那是骄傲的表情。“他们在今天的中国看到了自己当年奋斗的印记，意识到当时自己所做的事为中国的发展贡献了力量。”格林说，现在很多欧洲人和美国人对飞虎队的历史并不太了解，“飞虎队友谊学校和青年领袖计划”希望通过文化、艺术、体育等多种形式，帮助中美青少年认识这段历史，理解勇气、善良与正义的价值。他认为，作为世界上的两个主要大国，美中可以，也必须加强合作。两国在农业、科学、商业、航天航空等领域具备广泛的合作空间。而和平、合作、团结，正是他希望向两国青少年传递的信息。

“我心中的飞虎队精神，是勇于担当，是热爱和平，也是团结与友谊。”保山第一中学学生乔锦洋说，之前在参观纪念馆和历史遗址时听说过飞虎队，总觉得飞虎队的历史很宏大也很遥远。通过这次交流，她了解到，许多飞虎队队员到中国时，都是和她年龄相仿的年轻人。那段两国人民共同战斗的岁月让她感动。“我们青年一代要接过传承飞虎精神的接力棒，做中美友谊的桥梁。”

大理第一中学学生刘德庆也有相似的感受。他说，前人的牺牲换来了家乡的安宁，让他更珍惜今天的生活。学校成为“飞虎队友谊学校”，意味着今后会有更多的对外交流机会。他期待着结识美国朋友，向他们介绍大理的历史，分享中国科技新产品，一起聊一聊今天的生活。

活动结束时，学校代表向格林交换了纪念品。大理第一中学赠送的是一幅扎染，主题是“水”，寓意中美友谊如河流一样，生生不息，代代相传。在《友谊地久天长》的音乐声中，大家的手紧紧握在一起。（云南日报 记者刘子语）