A Story Across Eight Decades: A Teen’s Mission to Honor a Forgotten WWII Pilot

Author: Selina Liu

In the summer of 2023, a chance encounter with an article changed the course of my life. It was about Sun Chunlong, the founder of the Peace For Love Charity Center, who was seeking public support to locate the remains of an American pilot lost in World War II. That pilot, Jimmie Brown, had once answered the call of "China Needs You," leaving behind a privileged life in the United States to aid China’s war effort. As a pilot for the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC), he flew the perilous Hump Route over the Himalayas, ferrying vital wartime supplies. He perished in 1942 at just 21 years old.

The story felt like an untold chapter of history, suspended in time. Having lived between China and the United States, I felt a personal duty to uncover this long-buried legacy and honor those who had fought in the Asia-Pacific theater. Through my parents, I learned about Jimmie’s harrowing mission and the profound risks he had undertaken.

The Hump Route: A Sky of Peril

In May 1942, following the Japanese military’s blockade of the Burma Road—the last land-based supply line into China—the U.S. and China established an aerial transport corridor stretching from Assam, India, to Kunming, China. Known as the Hump, this route traversed the Himalayas, a region notorious for unpredictable winds and violent storms. Due to altitude constraints of piston-engine aircraft, pilots flew dangerously close to jagged peaks, following a flight path that resembled a camel’s hump—hence its name.

Jimmie Brown was among those brave airmen who navigated this treacherous corridor, ensuring the survival of China’s war effort. His courage and ultimate sacrifice resonated deeply with me.

A Family’s Unyielding Search

For more than 30 years, Jimmie’s cousin, Bob, searched for his remains, hoping to bring him home. The crash site, hidden deep within Yunnan’s Cangshan Mountains, had eluded discovery since 1942.

The story consumed me. Sun Chunlong’s plea echoed in my mind. As a Chinese-American high school student, I asked myself:

What could I do?

Eighty years ago, Jimmie made the selfless choice to come to China, sacrificing his life for a cause greater than himself. What could I do, all these decades later, to honor him?

Bridging Past and Present

When I contacted Sun Chunlong, he welcomed my involvement. The COVID-19 pandemic had severed his connection with Bob, and he hoped I could help reestablish it. More than anything, he wanted Bob to know that despite the passage of time, Jimmie had not been forgotten.

To my surprise, Bob responded to my letter. On March 11, 2024, I traveled to Florida to meet him.

Upon meeting, there was an immediate sense of familiarity, as if I were reconnecting with a long-lost relative. Bob, nearly a century old, spoke of Jimmie with a warmth that bridged generations.

Born in 1921 in Chicago, Jimmie was adopted as an infant by an older couple who adored him. By high school, he owned a convertible and was, as Bob described, "the most handsome guy in town, always surrounded by beautiful girls."

His passion for aviation led him to a job delivering aircraft to Britain’s Royal Air Force. By July 1942, compelled by the "China Needs You" campaign, he enlisted in CNAC and flew the Hump Route. In a letter to his family, he wrote:

"I just want to do my part in this war, but I don’t want to kill anyone."

On November 17, 1942, his aircraft, CNAC Plane No. 60, crashed into Mount Malong—the highest peak in the Cangshan range—just 40 meters shy of clearing it. All three crew members perished. It was the first CNAC plane lost on the Hump Route.

A Tragic Legacy

Over 500 American aircraft were lost along the Hump Route, resulting in more than 1,500 deaths, including 468 Americans and 46 Chinese crew members.

Jimmie’s parents, devastated by his loss, refused to accept his fate. In denial, his mother burned his letters, photographs, and medals, erasing his memory from their home. Within 15 years, both parents had passed—Bob believed they died of heartbreak.

Carrying the Torch

Since 1993, Bob has been devoted to keeping Jimmie’s memory alive. He traveled to China four times, navigating unfamiliar terrain in search of answers. In 2018, he was profoundly moved to find a sculpture of Jimmie at the Jianchuan Museum in Sichuan—proof that China had not forgotten his sacrifice.

By 2024, at 98 years old, Bob was still waiting for closure. That March, I traveled to Florida, carrying the hopes of the Peace For Love Charity Center. Through a video call, Bob reconnected with the search team in China. Decades of longing and gratitude spilled into the conversation.

A single thought crystallized in my mind:

Jimmie, I will do everything in my power to bring you home.

A Final Wish

In August 2024, I led my student nonprofit, Sunshine For All, in collaboration with Boston- based organizations to host "Finding Jimmie: A Journey of Love, Sacrifice, and Peace." Though Bob was too frail to attend, his son Tom spoke in his place, recounting the family’s decades-long search.

By November 2024, a professional search team was deployed to the Cangshan Mountains. Yet, Jimmie’s remains remained elusive.

Now, at 98, Bob still waits. Time is running out. Our hope remains steadfast: before he reaches 100, we will bring Jimmie home—not just as a soldier, but as a testament to sacrifice, courage, and the bonds that transcend borders.

His journey is not over. And neither is ours.