CHANGSHA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- At a memorial hall in central China's Zhijiang County, Rick Peterson, the son of Flying Tigers member Bill Peterson, paused before display cases, gazing at the helmets, ammunition boxes and a typewriter used by the American volunteer pilots who fought alongside Chinese forces against Japanese invaders during World War II.

"Seeing some of the supplies, equipment and pictures like these, which show what my father was doing, was really emotional. The memorial hall did a great job organizing everything and making that time real," the 69-year-old said, while visiting the memorial hall of the anti-Japanese aggression war and the acceptance of the Japanese surrender in Zhijiang.

On Sept. 4 and 5, the sixth China (Zhijiang) International Peace Culture Festival drew descendants of WWII veterans and international representatives to this historic county in Hunan Province, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

During World War II, Zhijiang Airport became a key base for the Flying Tigers, the 1st American Volunteer Group formed in 1941 to help China drive out invading Japanese troops. In 1945, it was also in Zhijiang that Japanese representatives handed over a map of Japanese troops deployed in China and signed a surrender memorandum.

"My father's crew was such a tight-knit group of guys. They came from all over the United States -- different places, different cities and different ethnic backgrounds, but they came together to fight for one common cause. The American and Chinese peoples also have different skin colors, languages and cultures," said Rick Peterson.

"From him, I learned the importance of teamwork. That's why I became a basketball coach," he added.

"He also said that the Chinese people and the American people should really get along, because we helped each other. In a way, we're joined together," he said, adding that when his father was alive, he was passionate about sharing the Flying Tigers stories with others.

Rick Peterson said he plans to share his experiences from his trip to China after he returns to the United States.

According to Wu Jianhong, the curator of the memorial hall, the facility is dedicated to preserving history, promoting friendship and spreading the message of peace.

"People of China and the United States should continue to work together to safeguard peace and carry forward the spirit of friendship," Wu added.

The legacy of the Doolittle Raid rescue, meanwhile, also underlines the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples. On April 18, 1942, a group of 16 U.S. bombers took off from the USS Hornet and conducted an air raid on Japanese cities in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor. Running low on fuel after turning south, the aircraft crashed across eastern China, where local residents risked their lives to rescue the parachuting airmen and help them evacuate to safety.

William Ross Kantenberger, a descendant of one of the Doolittle Raid pilots, also attended the memorial event with his wife Tracy Kantenberger.

"Before coming here, I only knew a little about the Flying Tigers. The museum was really eye-opening. Just seeing all the different items helped me learn so much more," William Ross Kantenberger said. "This feels like a different side of the Doolittle Raid."

Notably, Tracy Kantenberger, a high school history teacher, expressed her willingness of teaching this history to her students.

At the festival's opening ceremony, Jeffrey Ballard Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, highlighted the importance of carrying forward this friendship while giving a speech.

For years, he has devoted himself to the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools and Youth Leadership Program, bringing American students to visit Chinese cities, WWII battlefields, airports and museums -- to learn about and share in the special bond between Chinese civilians and American pilots.

He said that about 110 Chinese and 40 American schools will participate in this program next year.

"Humanity was more important than self-survival. What this shows us is a story from 80 years ago -- how America and China worked together and faced any odds and won. It tells us that today, if America and China work together in technology, ethics, science or space, we can win." ■