An eight-member congressmen delegation from the United States Saturday visited a monument dedicated to the famed "Hump Route" flying squadron in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Ike Skelton, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee who heads the delegation, said their trip to Kunming is "to remember the courage, valor and friendship of the two great armies".

The Chinese and American air forces opened an air supply route over the Himalayas known as the "Hump" in 1942. The route was a major airborne passage for Chinese and the Allied forces during the Second World War.

More than 500 airplanes were lost on the "Hump Route." More than 3,300 airmen, including 1,500 Americans, died in action.

The congressmen presented chrysanthemum early Saturday to pay their tribute to the monument which was shrouded in the mist and drizzle.

Robin Hayes, a congressman from North Carolina, said his uncle was flying on the Hump Route, and went missing in the 1940s.

"My uncle's plane was never found, and my grandfather was still hoping to receive a call from my uncle before he passed away," he said.

Randy Forbes, a House Representative from the Virginia state, said the monument is a witness to the greatness of those people who have given their lives for the common causes and their spirit should never be forgotten.

The delegation is on a five-day visit to China and will head for Beijing after their visit to Kunming.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2007)