Even in his 97th year, Sun Yinbai cannot forget the severed limbs and mangled corpses of the U.S. airmen strewn across the remote, wind-whipped landing strip.
American B-29s had bombed a Japanese aircraft factory on Nov. 21, 1944, and were flying hundreds of miles to safety on the Chinese mainland. The small and treacherous airfield at Ankang, a western outpost where Sun was serving as a military interpreter, was designated as their only option for refueling and repairs; at least two had lost an engine.
As the fifth plane touched down, it veered off the runway and plowed into another aircraft.