Wu Yun was born in the late Qing dynasty and became an orphan at a very young age. It is unclear whether his parents couldn't support him or abandoned him. Eventually, he was adopted by an orphanage run by an American church in Zhijiang.
Together with other adopted orphans, they attended a school affiliated with the church, which had both Chinese and American teachers. The school taught both Chinese and English. Despite being physically small and frail, Wu Yun was intelligent and excelled in his studies, especially in speaking fluent American English, making him stand out among his classmates.
In 1936, retired U.S. Air Force Major General Claire Lee Chennault was invited to serve as an advisor to the Chinese Nationalist Air Force. He went to the United States to raise funds and buy airplanes, recruiting a group of retired U.S. Air Force pilots to form the "American Volunteer Group" (AVG), also known as the "Flying Tigers." Due to the shark's head symbol painted on their planes, resembling a tiger with an open mouth, the Chinese people referred to them as the "Flying Tigers." Eventually, the name became popular, and people only knew them as the "Flying Tigers," not their formal name, the "American Volunteer Group."
飞虎队 -Flying Tigers - American Volunteer Group in Zhijiang during World War II
The Flying Tigers were mainly stationed in Kunming and Zhijiang. In addition to the Flying Tigers, there were also the Nationalist Air Force, Soviet Air Force, and a small number of air forces from other allied nations stationed in Zhijiang. With a gathering of foreigners, there was a high demand for translation services, especially English translation. Zhijiang, being a small county on the outskirts, lacked English speakers. Consequently, Wu Yun naturally became the interpreter for both the Chinese Nationalist Air Force and the Flying Tigers.
After the Pearl Harbor incident, the United States declared war on Japan and officially dispatched the U.S. Air Force to support China in its resistance against Japanese aggression. Wu Yun once again became an interpreter for the U.S. Air Force. With more U.S. Air Force personnel stationed at Zhijiang Airport, Wu Yun's translation duties became more demanding and crucial. His outstanding translation skills received widespread praise from both Chinese and American military personnel. He was recognized with awards, and photos of him wearing American military uniform with medals showcased him as a true hero of the resistance.
Aug. 21, 1945, Japan surrendered to China in Zhijiang. The middle one is General Xiao Yishu – 萧毅肃, represented China government accepting the Japan surrender leading by General 今井武夫
After the victory in 1945, the U.S. Air Force gradually withdrew from China, and Wu Yun's translation work diminished. He was then recruited by Zhijiang Normal School to become an English teacher.
Zhijiang Surrender Memorial Arch - Originally built in 1947, it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt in the 1980s.
Post-1949, as China and the United States strained their relations, Wu Yun's previous role as an interpreter for the U.S. military was no longer seen as a heroic achievement in the war against Japan. Instead, it became evidence branding him as an American Spy and a historical counter-revolutionary. Wu Yun's history became a lifelong political burden.
Despite the historical issues, the school still allowed him to teach. However, during that period, Russian language was in demand, and English classes, although available, were not a primary focus. Wu Yun, with poor eyesight, slow movements, and impaired hearing, became a target for mischief by some playful students. On occasions, students would intentionally speak unclearly and loudly ask him, "Are you a special agent?", which sounds like “Mr. Wu” in Chinese. Thinking they were greeting him in English as "Mr. Wu," he would happily respond with a "Yes," unknowingly becoming a subject of laughter for a group of students nearby. Fortunately, he remained unaware of their intentions and suffered no harm, exemplifying the concept of being "ignorant bliss."
Nevertheless, many students still respected him and earnestly learned English from him. Since he held no official position and was considered a bookish individual, he did not face significant political impacts, apart from occasional gatherings with others to remind them of being labeled as "bad elements" and the need for reform.
I encountered him during the Cultural Revolution. In his 60s, he had the appearance of a scholar—thin and small, with a lean face, always wearing a pair of high-framed, white-bordered reading glasses. His head had sparse, slightly graying hair. His clothes were oversized, hanging loosely on his frame. He walked slowly, spoke slowly, and had no family accompanying him. It was unclear whether he had a family but lived separately or was single, as he was often seen wandering alone on the campus.
In 1965, Zhijiang Normal School in the city exchanged campuses with Zhijiang No. 2 Middle School in Wood Oil Hill. Wood Oil Hill was located at Seven Miles Bridge, the place where Japan surrendered to the Nationalist government. It was situated east of Zhijiang Airport, close to the airport, and a couple of miles east was the Seven Miles Bridge where Japan surrendered.
This was the place where Mr. Wu Yun worked as an interpreter back in the day, and he was very familiar with it. During those years, he was a hero fighting against Japan, a translator highly respected by everyone. Returning to his old stomping grounds, he found himself labeled a historical counter-revolutionary and a societal scoundrel due to his history as a translator. However, nobody mentioned the Flying Tigers, the U.S. Air Force's stay at Wood Oil Hill, or Japan's surrender at Seven Miles Bridge. The only instance was during a large assembly where a woman accused the U.S. military of harassing women during those years.
In summary, the United States was considered evil. Anything related to the Flying Tigers and their anti-Japanese efforts was no longer acknowledged.
Wood Oil Hill was the place where Mr. Wu Yun and the Flying Tigers had lived together. Here, he translated for the Sino-American air force, feeling right at home. Returning to this familiar place today, he had become a criminal, unable to comprehend why. It was akin to his lack of understanding as to why his parents had abandoned him since childhood.
When the Cultural Revolution arrived, he was labeled as an "American Spy" and a "historical counter-revolutionary" by the Red Guards, subjected to criticism, and paraded through the streets. Because he wasn't considered a capitalist roadster and was deemed too apathetic, the Red Guards found it uninteresting to target him, so after a few rounds of struggle, he was left alone. For a while, nobody paid attention to him, and he became idle. However, after a few Months, the Red Guards ordered him to cut grass and feed fish at the school pond every day.
At the top of the hill in Wood Oil Hill, adjacent to Zhijiang Airport, stood three teaching buildings and a bungalow where teachers lived. Going downhill, there were two student dormitory buildings— one for boys, one for girls— and at the base of the hill was a large flat area with a few rice paddies. On the west side of the rice paddies were the school's water facilities, bathhouse, and kitchen. On the south side, there were two parallel basketball courts. To the east of the basketball courts was a grassy area, and further beyond was the Flying Tigers' club, essentially a small auditorium. To the south of the basketball courts were three long bungalows that used to serve as the dormitories for the Flying Tigers. Two of them were converted into teacher residences, and one was turned into classrooms for an affiliated primary school.
The school teachers' dormitories were the same buildings used by the Flying Tigers, constructed in the American style—long rectangular buildings with board walls stacked diagonally and felt tiles for the roof, similar to houses seen throughout the United States. However, instead of the common two-story buildings in the U.S., these were single-story structures. The long bungalows were divided into separate rooms, serving as living quarters without kitchens. Later, the school added additional rooms at the back, extending the roof diagonally downward, and enclosed the space underneath with wooden boards to create kitchens. These houses became the teachers' dormitories.
The former Flying Tigers and U.S. Air Force dormitory in World War II became Zhijiang Normal School teachers' dormitory in 1965 – 1969
The fish pond is located on the slope of Wood Oil Hill, situated between the hill's summit and the student dormitories. Three sides of the pond are surrounded by towering trees, with only the southeast side facing the slope being treeless, allowing sunlight to reach the pond. The pond is almost as large as two basketball courts combined. From morning to noon, sunlight shines down, casting tree shadows on the water's surface. In the afternoon, the sunlight is blocked by the large trees, creating a cool and quiet atmosphere.
The pond is stocked with three main types of fish: grass carp, carp, and catfish. Grass carp inhabit the upper water layers and prefer eating grass. Carp resides in the middle layers, displaying diverse eating habits, consuming grass as well as plankton, small snails, and insects. Catfish, on the other hand, dwell at the bottom and have a penchant for consuming animal feces, decomposed plants, and other organic matter. This mixed cultivation effectively utilizes the underwater space, serving as a good method to increase overall yield.
Every morning, the grass carp surface to breathe. The pond's water surface is filled with mouths opening and closing, creating small ripples in the water. By midday, the sun heats the water surface, causing the fish to seek cooler spots at the bottom, resulting in a calm water surface.
Grass carp grow well when provided with ample grass for feeding. In the early and late hours, cut grass is thrown into the pond. Soon, fish can be seen nibbling at the grass, sometimes with many fish grazing simultaneously. Before long, the thrown grass is consumed entirely.
Well-fed grass carp produce more waste, enriching the water with microorganisms and small insects, providing an abundant food source for carp. Simultaneously, the waste produced also serves as food for catfish. Therefore, successfully cultivating grass carp is crucial for the mixed cultivation of fish, and the key to raising healthy grass carp lies in providing them with sufficient grass.
Mr. Wu Yun, in his 60s, was frail and ailing. Having never engaged in physical labor, he was clueless about how to cut grass. Every day, he would carry a large basket, a sickle in one hand, and cut grass along the school's field edges, pond edges, and on the hillside. Grass cutting requires skill and strength. Farmers typically hold the sickle in one hand and gather the grass with the other. For instance, they would gather a bunch of grass with their left hand while simultaneously cutting and pulling at the roots with their right hand, severing dozens or even hundreds of strands at once. Afterward, the gathered grass is lifted and placed into the basket. When the basket is full, the grass is tied into bundles to be thrown further. However, Mr. Wu Yun didn't know how to cut grass in this manner; he cut each strand one by one. Due to his age and inability to squat or bend for too long, he would sit on a small stool and cut slowly. Even after a whole morning, he couldn't fill his basket, and he didn't bundle the grass properly; he just scattered it by the pond. In a matter of minutes, the fish would consume it all.
Wood Oil Hill witnessed him every day, wearing a straw hat, carrying a basket with a small stool inside, and a sickle in his hand. He moved either slowly or even slower. Fortunately, the Red Guards from the Cultural Revolution had dispersed, leaving only a few who were no longer aggressive or fierce. They mostly ignored him, allowing him to cut grass at his leisure.
Seeing that the elderly man cut grass too slowly and too little, some would occasionally help him. My father often assisted him, cutting for ten minutes, achieving more than what Mr. Wu Yun could do in a day. Given my father's rural background, he would return home during school breaks to help with various tasks, making him more adept at agricultural activities. At that time, my father, being aligned with the "Rightists," wasn't considered a bad person but wasn't seen as a good person either. However, excessive assistance wasn't feasible due to the potential political consequences.
This routine continued from 1967 to 1969.
At the end of 1969, Zhijiang Normal School, Zhijiang No. 1 School, and Zhijiang No. 2 School were merged to form Zhijiang School. The original walls between the two schools were removed, creating a large campus. The school resumed enrollment, and by the spring of 1971, my father was appointed as the principal.
This marked the first time since the Cultural Revolution began in 1966 that school enrollment was reinstated. At the same time, universities began admitting students, although the students admitted that years were a small number of workers, peasants, and soldiers. Admission to university was mostly based on political evaluations, with or without very easy exams being a formality.
After more than four years of the Cultural Revolution, most teachers had been criticized, sent back to their hometowns, or faced severe health issues. Moreover, universities were closed, resulting in a lack of graduates. As the principal, my father confronted the severe shortage of teaching staff.
After the Battle of Zhenbao Island in the Ussuri River on the border between China and Soviet Union in 1969, Sino-Soviet relations plummeted to freezing levels. In 1972, with the visit of President Richard Nixon to China, Sino-American relations began to thaw. Consequently, the school started emphasizing English instruction. Before the Cultural Revolution, Russian was the main foreign language taught, with English being an elective. Now, there was a sudden shift to prioritize English, and there were not enough teachers proficient in the language.
Faced with the dilemma of "a clever housewife unable to cook without rice," my father began considering the idea of utilizing Mr. Wu Yun. However, at that time, Mr. Wu Yun still carried the labels of "American Spy" and "historical counter-revolutionary." Could such a person be allowed to teach? No one dared to entertain such thoughts.
Undeterred by these concerns, my father decided to bring Mr. Wu Yun out to conduct training classes for English teachers. In those years, even though my father was the principal, Mr. Wu Yun hesitated, considering the potential violation of the government policies. However, my father managed to organize the training classes, bringing in young teachers, including those from rural schools, to attend Mr. Wu Yun's classes. It seemed that there was some private communication with the county education bureau, as external teachers wouldn't have been allowed otherwise. The situation likely went as follows: the education bureau pretended not to know, and in case of any issues, my father, as the school principal, would take responsibility. The education bureau, facing a severe shortage of teaching staff countywide, turned a blind eye.
Despite the tacit approval from the education bureau, my father took precautions. The training classes were held in the relatively secluded library building on the second floor. The library, located amidst a group of old wooden buildings at the center of the school, housed the school library on the first floor, which was not accessible to students. The surrounding buildings were mostly teacher dormitories, with the student bathhouse, toilets, and the auditorium nearby. The classroom building was farther away. The upper floor of the library had long been vacant, no one was allowed to go upstairs without permit, making it an ideal location for the training. Moreover, the classes were scheduled during summer vacation when the school was devoid of students, and most teachers were on holiday, ensuring a quiet environment.
Thus, Mr. Wu Yun's English training classes took place quietly, seemingly without any reports or inspections. The summer session was followed by a winter session, and the training continued the next summer. This effort contributed to cultivating a group of English teachers in Zhijiang County, alleviating the severe shortage of English teaching staff. My father expressed his gratitude to Mr. Wu Yun for his invaluable contribution to society. In turn, Mr. Wu Yun was thankful for the opportunity my father provided, allowing him to contribute despite his advanced age, earning him respect.
As Sino-American relations improved further, Zhijiang began the reconstruction of the "Surrender Memorial Arch," destroyed by the Red Guards. Since the early 1980s, annual commemorative events were held at the site where Japan surrendered during World War II. Additionally, a Flying Tigers Memorial Museum was established. The remnants of the Flying Tigers' site on Wood Oil Hill, except for a stone-built small auditorium, were dismantled in the late 1970s. The small auditorium was moved to the exhibition hall of Flying Tiger Memorial outside the Zhijiang Airport as a historical artifact.
The Chinese government spent a significant amount to invite living members of the Flying Tigers back to Zhijiang multiple times since late of 1980s to 1990s. These veterans were elderly, but they were warmly welcomed by the people of Zhijiang, just as they were during the war. Revisiting Zhijiang, they were surrounded by applause, flowers, and praise. They savored the delicious cuisine of Zhijiang and the beautiful scenery of western Hunan. Upon departure, they received numerous gifts.
Former Flying Tiger Members were welcomed back to Zhejiang in 1990s
Mr. Wu Yun, a former member of the Flying Tigers who had fought side by side with other members, passed away in the early 1980s, didn't live long enough to experience these events.
Written on October 23, 2017
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