The seven-member "US Astronauts' China Tour" mission including three US astronauts held a memorial ceremony for air heroes who laid down their lives during the War of Resistance against Japan, in Nanjing Air Martyr Cemetery on July 30, 2005.

The three retired American astronauts are Charles M. Duke, Charles F. Bolden and Mae C. Jemison. They laid wreath for air martyrs and visited the 30 monuments engraved with air martyrs' names and martyrs' cemetery.

Built in the 1930s, the Nanjing Air Martyr Cemetery houses some 3,000 Chinese, American as well as Soviet Union pilots died during the War of Resistance against Japan in China. Particularly, more than 2,000 American pilots were buried there.

Charles F. Bolden said that he felt himself very insignificant when he saw so many martyrs' names engraved on the monument. "I am very proud of them, and hope more Americans could come here, and also expect people from both China and the US could contribute their part to the Sino-US friendship and world peace," added F. Bolden.

By People's Daily Online