Susan Ozark, the daughter of a Doolittle Raid pilot, is welcomed back to where her father was rescued. [Photo/app.qz123.com]

In the serene Longtoudian village of Jiangshan, Quzhou, a deeply moving reunion unfolded on April 17, as Susan Ozark, a visitor from the United States, was warmly embraced by 89-year-old Liao Mingfa.

In a poignant moment, Liao presented Susan with a copper key in front of an adobe house, where her father, Lieutenant Charles Ozark, the navigator of the No 3 aircraft during the 1942 Doolittle Raid, had spent four days recuperating from injuries sustained during a parachute landing.

To express her gratitude for Liao's father's role in saving her own, Susan generously donated $15,000 towards the refurbishment of the old house on Dec 5, 2023.

Recalling her father's ordeal, Susan shared, "My father was left hanging on a cliff all night by his parachute. He was discovered the next day by Liao’s father who brought him home." She continued, "My father always remembered how the Liao family took care of him, tending to his wounds, providing food, and even letting him sleep in their children's beds."

Liao also recounted how his father, along with his four brothers, used a stretcher to transport the gravely injured pilot back home. "My father went up the mountain to gather herbs to apply to Ozark's wounds, and my mother even specially cooked eggs and noodles for him to eat," he fondly recalled.