2018年,当纽约州立宾汉姆顿大学图书馆特藏部筹备一个名为“格兰.巴图:平生与遗产”的特展时,一枚由国民政府颁发的功勋奖章,表彰他在二战期间作为海军训练部主任的贡献,引起了笔者的注意。巴图是大学的创建人及第一任校长,但他与中国抗战的关系却鲜为人知。带着疑问开展的研究使笔者发现了一段有趣历史───海军V-12及“中国海军班”项目。随着故事的展开,这段几乎被人遗忘的历史不仅帮助人更好地理解了巴图校长将精英教育引入公共教育的理念,他与“中国海军班”的渊源更是现代史中美关系中一段温馨感人的插曲。
When the Binghamton University Libraries Special Collections was preparing an exhibit titled "Glenn G. Bartle: His Life and Legacy" in 2018, a medal for merit caught the author' s attention. The award was issued by the National Government of China for Bartle's service in World War II as the Director of the Naval Training Program. Bartle is the founder and first president of the University, but we knew little about his connection to the War of Resistance of China. Intensive research led the author to a piece of fascinating history-the Navy V-12 Training Program and the "China Naval Unit". As the story unfolds, this almost forgotten history helps us better understand President Bartle' s desire to introduce elite education standards into public education. His relationship with the "China Naval Unit" is a warm and touching episode in modern Sino-US relations.