China Overseas Chinese Network, May 24. According to the US "Overseas News" report, Chen Jintang, a former member of the American "Flying Tigers" and veteran of the New York Overseas Chinese Clothing Store Federation, died on the morning of May 23, local time, at the age of 98.
When the news came, people in the overseas Chinese community did not cherish and feel sorry for it.
Chen Jintang has served the overseas Chinese community all his life, cultivated talents, and built bridges for the friendship between the people of China and the United States. He is highly respected and respected by people from all walks of life.
Chen Jintang was born in Zhongli Village, Taishan, Guangdong in July 1923. When he was 17 years old in 1940, his brother applied for him to go to the United States.
At that time, the Japanese army had fully invaded China. He set off by ship from Hong Kong, via Japan to Vancouver, took a train to Montreal, then went to Boston, and then moved to New York to settle down. His fellow hometown brothers introduced him to work in a clothing store.
But Chen Jintang, who is full of enthusiasm, always remembers the safety of the motherland.
The then-U.S. President Roosevelt had plans to help young people work in the Department of Defense. He was admitted after applying for the exam and worked on a lathe.
In 1943, Japan invaded China, and their lives were disastrous. Overseas Chinese and Chinese people were all filled with indignation.
A Chinese-American Yu Xinxian who served in the military wanted to organize a Chinese team to join the army, return to China to fight against Japan, and recruit at the Chinese House.
After understanding the situation, Chen Jintang decided to register with the military and was finally admitted.
Chen Jintang was admitted to the "Flying Tigers" and was one of the best. In addition to receiving physical training and firearms training, he also learned special training in telegram reception and deciphering.
At the end of 1943, Chen Jintang and other Chinese soldiers completed their training and moved into China to participate in the battle against the Japanese invaders.
In January 1946, when the troops returned to the United States, Chen Jintang retired.
Back in New York, Chen Jintang applied to the Ministry of National Defense to work as a lathe in his old business, but he was overcrowded and he went to work in the clothing store again. In 1948, he came to the "American Overseas Chinese Daily" to do computer room layout work.
Soon, Chen Jintang joined the Clothing Federation to fight for the rights and interests of overseas Chinese.
Chen Jintang returned to mainland China for the first time after his retirement in 1974, and they were invited back to visit.
After retiring, Chen Jintang still cares about overseas Chinese associations, especially education, and presides over the scholarship selection of his fellow hometown associations. In addition, in the past 20 years, Chen Jintang has organized several delegations from the Federation of Clothing Industry Associations to visit mainland China to care about the development of his ancestral (home) country and to convey the aspirations of overseas Chinese in the United States. In 2015, marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, China presented awards to overseas Chinese soldiers who had fought for their ancestral country in the War of Resistance Against Japan, and invited them to visit the mainland to observe the ceremony. However, due to age issues, to avoid fatigue in boats and cars, Chen Jintang and others can only accept medals from the Chinese Consulate General in New York in the United States. He often said that China and the United States should respect each other, work together, and make efforts and contributions to world peace. This is the blessing of mankind. (Ye Yongkang)