Local WWII Veterans Recognized With Rare Honor

By Alexandria Hoff

CHESTER COUNTY, Pa., (CBS) -- Earlier this week Jack and Lois Goodrich got a knock at their door.

It was high powered representatives of the Chinese government.

They were there to say 'Thank You'.

"We Americans were the first ones to come and fight on their side and not ask for anything in return," said Jack from his Chester County home.

In 1942 the United States began a campaign to assist China in fending off the Japanese, who had just sealed all supply routes.

"The only way they could get supplies in and continue the war effort was over the Himalayan mountains," he said, "We called it 'The Hump'."

At 92-years-old Jack Goodrich is one of the few remaining "Hump Pilots".

The three and a half year mission brought weapons, fuel, even actual Mules into China which were then used by an elite group of American fighter pilots called the "Flying Tigers".

"They took on the entire Japanese Airforce and beat them," Jack said.

Fast forward 70 years, to those Chinese visitors.

"The young lady who presented it said that she was presenting it on behalf of the President of China and that it was their Medal of Honor," said Goodrich, one of two local recipients of the award rarely, if ever given out to non-Chinese.

The second Chinese Medal of Honor was given out to a man named Cliff Long. Long was a Flying Tiger, one of the pilots who was able to defeat the Japanese with the help of Jack's deliveries. Ironically, the men had been living near each other in Chester County for some time and only realized it after a chance meeting at the local golf course.

The medal was like icing on cake for the Goodrich family, who have held a close relationship with Chinese diplomats throughout the years – even being invited on trips into the country with their children. They say the nation has made it clear that they understand the sacrifices made by the young pilots who flew the dangerous route on their behalf.

"There was a great deal of pain," said Jack, "Invisible damage. Our only sense of loss was when someone erased a plane's number and the crew members from our ready board and we knew that somewhere they were lost."

Over 1,600 crew members aboard "Hump Flights" never made it home. Like Jack, most all were in their early 20's.

It seems that he was one of the lucky ones, but ask a country of 1.35 billion and they would likely say that the luck was all theirs.