Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Gary North speaks to an audience during an event celebrating the legacy of the US-China friendship, held at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jan. 30, 2012. During the event, the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Madame Li Xiaolin, presented her film documentary, Touching the Tigers, which tells the story of the late ‘Flying Tigers’ pilot Lt. Glen Beneda. Beneda was a fighter pilot with 14th Air Force, who was shot down and wounded while defending China from Japanese forces during World War II. The documentary also details how Chinese farmers and soldiers helped Beneda escape capture before he was returned to a U.S. air base for medical care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn/Released)

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Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Gary North speaks to an audience during an event celebrating the legacy of the US-China friendship, held at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jan. 30, 2012. During the event, the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Madame Li Xiaolin, presented her film documentary, Touching the Tigers, which tells the story of the late ‘Flying Tigers’ pilot Lt. Glen Beneda. Beneda was a fighter pilot with 14th Air Force, who was shot down and wounded while defending China from Japanese forces during World War II. The documentary also details how Chinese farmers and soldiers helped Beneda escape capture before he was returned to a U.S. air base for medical care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn/Released)

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Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie thanks Mrs. Elinor Beneda, spouse of the late Lt. Glen Beneda, a ‘Flying Tigers’ fighter pilot with the 14th Air Force, at an event celebrating the legacy of the U.S.-China friendship, held at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jan. 30, 2012. During the event, the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Madame Li Xiaolin, presented her film documentary, Touching the Tigers, which tells the story of Beneda, who was shot down and wounded while defending China from Japanese forces during World War II. The documentary also details how Chinese farmers and soldiers helped Beneda escape capture before he was returned to a U.S. air base for medical care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn/Released)

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Mrs. Elinor Beneda, spouse of the late Lt. Glen Beneda, a ‘Flying Tigers’ fighter pilot with the 14th Air Force, is interviewed by a New Tang Dynasty Television reporter, at an event celebrating the legacy of the U.S.-China friendship, held at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jan. 30, 2012. During the event, the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Madame Li Xiaolin, presented her film documentary, Touching the Tigers, which tells the story of Beneda, who was shot down and wounded while defending China from Japanese forces during World War II. The documentary also details how Chinese farmers and soldiers helped Beneda escape capture before he was returned to a U.S. air base for medical care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn/Released)

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The China Children’s Choir of Beijing sings the national anthems of the USA and China at an event celebrating the legacy of the U.S.-China friendship, held at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jan. 30, 2012. During the event, the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Madame Li Xiaolin, presented her film documentary, Touching the Tigers, which tells the story of Lt. Glen Beneda, a ‘Flying Tigers’ fighter pilot with the 14th Air Force, who was shot down and wounded while defending China from Japanese forces during World War II. The documentary also details how Chinese farmers and soldiers helped Beneda escape capture before he was returned to a U.S. air base for medical care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn/Released)

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Gov. Neil Abercrombie speaks to an audience during an event celebrating the legacy of the U.S.-China friendship, held at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jan. 30, 2012. During the event, the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Madame Li Xiaolin, presented her film documentary, Touching the Tigers, which tells the story of the late ‘Flying Tigers’ pilot Lt. Glen Beneda. Beneda was a fighter pilot with 14th Air Force, who was shot down and wounded while defending China from Japanese forces during World War II. The documentary also details how Chinese farmers and soldiers helped Beneda escape capture before he was returned to a U.S. air base for medical care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn/Released)

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President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and daughter of former Chinese President Li Xiannian, Madame Li Xiaolin, speaks to an audience during an event celebrating the legacy of the U.S.-China friendship, held at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jan. 30, 2012. During the event, Madame Li presented her film documentary, Touching the Tigers, which tells the story of the late ‘Flying Tigers’ pilot Lt. Glen Beneda. Beneda was a fighter pilot with 14th Air Force, who was shot down and wounded while defending China from Japanese forces during World War II. The documentary also details how Chinese farmers and soldiers helped Beneda escape capture before he was returned to a U.S. air base for medical care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn/Released)

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Mrs. Elinor Beneda, spouse of the late Lt. Glen Beneda, a ‘Flying Tigers’ fighter pilot with the 14th Air Force, speaks to an audience during an event celebrating the legacy of the U.S.-China friendship, held at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jan. 30, 2012. During the event, the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Madame Li Xiaolin, presented her film documentary, Touching the Tigers, which tells the story of Beneda, who was shot down and wounded while defending China from Japanese forces during World War II. The documentary also details how Chinese farmers and soldiers helped Beneda escape capture before he was returned to a U.S. air base for medical care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn/Released)

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Mrs. Elinor Beneda, spouse of the late Lt. Glen Beneda, a ‘Flying Tigers’ fighter pilot with the 14th Air Force, and her two sons, Edward and Harry Beneda, at an event celebrating the legacy of the U.S.-China friendship, held at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii, Jan. 30, 2012. During the event, the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Madame Li Xiaolin, presented her film documentary, Touching the Tigers, which tells the story of Beneda, who was shot down and wounded while defending China from Japanese forces during World War II. The documentary also details how Chinese farmers and soldiers helped Beneda escape capture before he was returned to a U.S. air base for medical care. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn/Released)

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Honoring Flying Tiger Lt. Glen Beneda

Published Feb. 3, 2012
By Tech. Sgt. Jerome Tayborn
PACAF/PA

FORD ISLAND, Hawaii -- Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Gary North delivered a keynote speech during an event celebrating the legacy of the U.S.-China friendship held at the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor Jan. 30.

North addressed the audience, which included Gov. Neil Abercrombie, after viewing a 40-minute documentary titled Touching the Tigers, a story about an American 'Flying Tigers' pilot in World War II.

According to North, the Flying Tigers represent a unique era in our military history. They began a proud history of American air power in the Pacific theater, protecting friends, defending allies and always willing to come to the support of other nations in need.

Madame Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and daughter of former Chinese President Li Xiannian, produced the documentary. She also presented the documentary at the event.

Touching the Tigers is the story of Lt. Glen Beneda, a World War II pilot who was shot down in his fighter aircraft over Jianli in Hubei province, while defending China from Japanese forces on his 81st mission with the 14th Air Force. According to the documentary, Chinese farmers and soldiers rescued Beneda after his aircraft went down, and for 60 days, the Chinese hid Beneda from capture, tended to his wounds and fed him. The documentary outlines how this began a life-long relationship between Beneda and the Chinese. In the years following the war, Beneda visited China three times.

The Pacific Aviation Museum event also hosted the China Children's Choir of Beijing and a lion dance as part of the festivities.