The Site marker is unveiled to commemorate the Doolittle Raid Wilder Landing. [Photo/app.qz123.com] 

The unveiling of the marker for the Doolittle Raid's Wilder Landing Site took place in Fangyuan village, Jiangshan, Quzhou, Zhejiang Province on April 16.

The marker's base, standing at 40 centimeters high, with a total height and width of 180 centimeters, signifies the significant landing date of April 18, 1942.

The marker features a representation of a folded B25 bomber parachute, symbolizing the safe landing of the pilots. Adjacent to the marker, a metal plaque provides historical context, paying homage to the aircraft's metal construction and offering insight into the historical significance of the event.

During the unveiling ceremony, Lieutenant Rodney R. Wilder's two grandsons, William Ross Comptonberg and George Duncan Comptonberg, along with Mao Honggen, son of Mao Guangxiao, and several representatives from the Descendants of the Doolittle Raiders Association, raised their glasses in a commemoration of the enduring friendship forged in the crucible of war and sealed in blood.

The marker's significance is tied to the events of April 18, 1942, when following a bombing mission over Japan, the fifth aircraft of the Doolittle Raid entered the airspace over Jiangshan. Co-pilot Wilder made an emergency parachute jump, landing on a slope in the village. Enduring a cold, rainy night, he used the last drops of whisky from a small flask to keep warm, wrapping himself in his parachute for the night.

The following day, Mao Guangxiao, a resident of the village, discovered Wilder and brought him down from the mountain to the village. With the assistance of the local Chinese community, Wilder eventually reunited with some of the other rescued pilots.