On August 28, the “Finding Jimmie” Symposium, jointly organized by the RUC North America Alumni Association (RUC-NAAA) and several other organizations, was held at the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Boston.
The event drew enthusiastic participation from people across different communities. Through the moving story of Jimmie Browne, an American pilot who flew the Hump Route, the symposium called on people from all walks of life to remember history, cherish peace, and work together to deepen the friendship between the people of China and the United States.
Nearly 100 people—including Jimmie's relatives, descendants of the Flying Tigers, community activists, RUC alumni, and Boston residents—gathered to revisit the difficult years of the Hump Route.
Among the distinguished guests were Yafeng Wu, President of the RUC North America Alumni Association; Stephen Kennedy Smith, a member of the Kennedy family; Consul Sun Fengshou and Consul Liu Weiqi of the Chinese Consulate General in New York; Yu Guoliang, President of the New England Chinese Alliance Association; and Wang Kaiyuan, President of the Peking University New England Alumni Association.
The Hump Route was an aerial supply route jointly established by China and the United States during World War II. Stretching from Assam in northeastern India across the Himalayas, it transported large quantities of supplies to China during the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
It was also one of the most dangerous air routes of World War II. Severe weather conditions and attacks by Japanese aircraft made every flight a life-threatening mission.
At just 21 years old, American pilot Jimmie Browne lost his life on this route. In 1942, he left the United States for China and joined the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC), participating in missions along the Hump Route. In November 1942, however, his aircraft disappeared while on a mission. Jimmie has since remained in the remote mountains of Yunnan, China.
Jimmie and the aircraft he flew over the Hump Route (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
Decades later, Jimmie's cousin Bob Willet retired from his career and began searching for Jimmie's remains. He persisted for 30 years and traveled to China numerous times. In 2011, Bob and his team discovered the wreckage of Jimmie's aircraft in the Cangshan Mountains in Dali, Yunnan.
Yet the effort to recover Jimmie's remains remained a daunting task.
In 2018, Bob contacted Sun Chunlong's team and asked them to continue the search. Sun Chunlong is the founder of the Chinese public-service initiative “Bringing Veterans Home.” His team has dedicated itself to locating and caring for veterans and the remains of fallen service members from China and the United States who served during World War II.
Despite numerous challenges over the years, Sun Chunlong and his team have continued their tireless search across time and borders.
In his remarks, Smith said:
“Today's event has multiple meanings for me. First, this hotel is where J.F. Kennedy began his political career. Second, someone in my own family also died on the battlefield in the Far East, and his remains have never been recovered. So I deeply understand what these families are going through. I sincerely hope that people from China and the United States can work together to do more of this kind of good work.”
Stephen Kennedy Smith delivers remarks at the event.
Bob's son Tom and daughter Barbara attended the event on behalf of the family and presented a video of Jimmie as a child.
In his remarks, Tom spoke movingly about the family's memories of Jimmie and the emotional journey of searching for him over the years.
“My father has been searching for Jimmie for 30 years, and he is now 98 years old,” Tom said. “Finding Jimmie and bringing him home is not only my elderly father's greatest wish, but the shared wish of our entire family.”
He said that in recent years, thanks to growing attention from various quarters—particularly support from the governments of China and the United States—the search had reached a turning point, giving the family renewed hope.
“We will continue this journey until we bring Jimmie home,” he said.
Tom Willet speaks to the media at the event.
Sun Chunlong recounted his personal journey from working as a journalist to devoting himself full-time to the “Bringing Veterans Home” public-service initiative. He also shared how he came to know Bob's family and was entrusted with the search for Jimmie's remains.
He said his organization has helped numerous veterans whose remains were left overseas and has located the remains of more than 1,000 veterans in total.
Speaking about Jimmie and the Hump Route, Sun reflected:
“The route was 500 miles long. In just two years, 594 aircraft crashed and 1,659 people lost their lives. Most of their remains are still somewhere in those mountains.”
Sun said he had originally planned to leave his job and devote five years to the cause. But one five-year period followed another, and he found that he could no longer stop.
He said he carries the hopes of countless families and the trust placed in him by countless others, making it necessary for him to continue.
“I think this will be my life's work,” Sun said.
He also noted that as the Chinese and U.S. militaries have begun dialogue and cooperation on the search for the remains of U.S. service members, there is growing hope and renewed confidence among everyone involved.
Sun Chunlong speaks at the event.
Sixteen-year-old Chinese American high school student Selina Liu shared how deeply the story had moved her and how she decided to do what she could to help more Americans learn about this chapter of history and appreciate the importance of friendly relations between China and the United States.
“As a Chinese student living in the United States, I naturally care deeply about China-U.S. relations,” she said. “So when I first heard about the story of the search for Jimmie through the media, I immediately became very interested.”
For more than a year, Selina proactively contacted Sun Chunlong's team and traveled to Florida to meet Bob in person. She also conducted extensive research and field visits in China, traveling with her family and the team into mountainous areas in southern China to learn about the Flying Tigers, the Hump Route, and the stories of Chinese civilians and soldiers who sheltered American pilots during the war.
She photographed and organized a wealth of material, collected numerous historical images and documents, and created a photo exhibition titled “In Search of History,” which was displayed at the symposium.
She said she hoped that through her efforts, the friendship that transcends borders could be passed from one generation to the next, while encouraging young people to remember history and cherish peace.
Selina Liu speaks at the event.
Mitch Presnick, a visiting scholar at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, sent a video message congratulating the symposium on its successful opening. He summarized the significance of the Flying Tigers and the Hump Route from five different perspectives.
He described them as an important symbol in China-U.S. relations and emphasized the value of the friendship they represent, calling on people on both sides to cherish that friendship and pass it on from generation to generation.
The event attracted broad attention from the community. The venue was filled to capacity, with people even sitting in the aisles and on the steps.
Descendants of Flying Tigers veterans also attended, bringing personal belongings and photographs of their parents and grandparents to express their support for the local event and the ongoing search for Jimmie.
Descendants of Flying Tigers veterans attend with personal belongings and photographs of their parents.
From people approaching the age of 100 to young students in the prime of their lives, participants shared personal experiences that crossed generations and national borders, conveying a commitment to remembering history and cherishing peace.
The dialogue not only allowed those in attendance to experience a powerful emotional connection across time, but also demonstrated the precious bonds that can emerge between the people of China and the United States when they come together around a shared historical memory.
The successful event generated renewed interest in this chapter of history. Many participants said that Jimmie's story is not merely a legacy of the past, but also offers a profound reminder about peace and friendship in today's world.
They expressed hope that more members of society would join the effort to remember history and pass on friendship, allowing the emotions and responsibilities that transcend time and borders to continue into a new generation.
As Marina, an elementary school student who volunteered at the event, put it:
“This special bond between China and the United States should be remembered and passed on. I believe that by continuing to share stories like the ones we shared today, we can plant the seeds for a more harmonious future.”
Tom also brought his father Bob's 2008 book, A Family Airline: The Story of Pan Am's China National Aviation Corporation and Its Pilots, and held a book signing at the event.
The symposium was co-moderated by Ye-Min Deng, an RUC alumna in Boston, and Jeffrey Liu, a young student.
RUC-NAAA Board Member Yang Guang and Deputy Secretary-General Feng Zhuo, among others, participated in organizing the event.
Other organizations that jointly organized or co-organized the event included:
Peace for Love Charity Center
Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association – Boston Chapter (APAPA-Boston)
New England Chinese American Alliance (NECAA)
Sunshine for All
Peking University New England Alumni Association
National Financial Network (NFN)
Civic Education Alliance
