NEW YORK, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- In the 1940s, as World War II (WWII) raged across Asia, a young U.S. medic with the Flying Tigers tended wounded soldiers in Kunming city, a vital wartime stronghold in southwest China.

The Flying Tigers -- officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force -- had been formed to help China resist Japanese invasion.

Between bandages and battlefields, Clinton Millett carried not only medical supplies but also a camera, capturing Yunnan in vivid colors.

Today, his descendants walk the same streets he once knew, calling the city their home.

"My father was focused on the people, not the war. That's something that has been with me for a long time," said his son, Gary Clinton Millett, in an interview with Xinhua.

Looking back on his father's years in China during WWII, 81-year-old Gary said that while many soldiers were preoccupied with the frontlines, his father devoted himself to caring for ordinary people.

To Gary, that devotion was more than an act of bravery -- it was a lasting expression of love and humanity.

Clinton Millett's legacy did not end with Gary. It has been carried on to the third generation, through Gary's son, Jesse Millett.

Now living in Kunming, Jesse felt his bond with China runs deeper than family ties. As an English teacher, he said he carries a profound responsibility to foster understanding and build bridges between China and the United States.

"Ever since a young age, I've always thought that cultural exchanges and understanding different cultures were very important," Jesse said. "When I became an adult and started understanding more about my family's legacy and history with China, I took on the responsibility and the honor to continue that legacy in China and build those bridges between China and America."

"We need more events where Chinese, Americans and people from all over the world share the stories of their parents' or grandparents' experiences so that we can learn more from each other," he added.