Photo exhibition on Doolittle Raid rescue opens in San Francisco

A photo exhibition on the Doolittle Raid rescue opened at the USS Hornet Museum in San Francisco on Aug. 30 to honor the heroic act of Chinese civilians to rescue American pilots during World War II and the enduring friendship between the two nations.

A photo exhibition on the Doolittle Raid rescue opens at the USS Hornet Museum in San Francisco, the U.S., Aug. 30, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Divided into four sections, the exhibition features nearly 160 rare historical photographs and documents, giving visitors an opportunity to learn about the heroic rescue efforts and sacrifice of the two countries during WWII.

During the Doolittle Raid on April 18, 1942, most of America's B-25 bombers ran out of fuel and crash-landed in Japanese-occupied eastern China after bombing Japan. In Quzhou, Zhejiang province, local Chinese civilians risked their lives to rescue, shelter, and help American airmen evade the Japanese forces. The rescue, however, came at a terrible cost, as the Japanese invaders brutally retaliated against the Chinese people for their selfless act.

The exhibition, organized by Quzhou Doolittle Raid Memorial Museum, drew about 1,000 visitors on the opening day and will run for two months.

The exhibition was a centerpiece of an event hosted at the USS Hornet Museum to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. 

Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin attended the opening ceremony.