Ted Stevens

Ted Stevens (1923-2010) was a Flying Tigers veteran. He served as a transport pilot in support of the US Flying Tigers in the China-Burma-India theater during World War II, and was honored by the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor in October 2011, according to the Ted Stevens Foundation.

In 1980, he and his wife, Catherine Ann Stevens, visited China and met Deng Xiaoping.

He was also the creator of the United States-China Inter-Parliamentary Group.

Catherine Ann Stevens said at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday: "One of the reasons that he did so much with China in his years in the Senate was that he did not want Americans to forget what happened in connection with China, and part of that is happening in our memorials such as the World War II museum in New Orleans, which is just opening a China-Burma-India exhibition."

"They are passing the torch to future generations and hope they can learn more about the terrible war that happened here in China," she said.