At the 60th anniversary of the victory of the world anti-Fascist
war, we present you some historical stories about those overseas Chinese
who devoted themselves to the war for justice. Their merits for peace and
justice remain brilliant even today.
|
| Lin Meiyu (Front 1st Left), the first female member of the
Philippine Chinese Anti-Japanese Guerilla Force, which was established in
May 1942, has photo taken with her fellows. The force fought against
Japanese troops across 14 provinces in the Philippines and killed
2,020 enemies. |
The victory of the World
Anti-Fascist War 60 years ago was a paean played by all the just forces
across the world.
The Red Army of the Soviet Union fought valiantly against Japanese
invaders in northeast China; the children of Chinese leaders such as Mao Zedong's and Liu Shaoqi's devoted themselves to
the Great Patriotic War of the people of the Soviet Union; the combats
during the Normandy Landing saw 21 Chinese overseas students as well as
Chinese "Schindler" He Fengshan, a Chinese diplomat who risked his life
granting "life-saving visas" to 2, 000 Austrian Jew refugees to China's Shanghai.
4, 000 Chinese in US forces fell in battle
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States immediately declared war against
Japan and then against Germany and Italy. It is recorded that Chinese youngsters in the
United States actively enlisted in the army and some of them even used
their Chinese traditional nominal age (considering a person one year old
at birth and adding a year each lunar new years). Nearly 20, 000 Chinese
from over 40 American states joined American armies in the wars in Europe
and Asia afar, and nearly 20 percent or 4, 000 of them died on
battlefield.
Chinese youngsters who have long lived in the United States were deeply
touched by war posters. They did not evade military services for the
sufferings of their father generation's trudge across the ocean for
survival, instead, they marched fearlessly to the frontiers.
Chinese Americans joined the third and fourth American infantry
divisions in European, and the 6th, 32nd and 77th infantry divisions in
Asia and the Pacific. There were even Chinese women in American armies,
including a female pilot in American air force, who remained the pride of
overseas Chinese.
In the World War II, Chinese officers and soldiers in Europe, though
small in number, excelled in their performance therefore a number of them
were awarded medals of honor by American armies. For example, a Chinese
Captain surnamed Wei received the top-ranking Congressional Medal of
Honor. He joined 34th American Infantry Division in 1941, fought in Europe
and then in Asia. He fell in battle in the Philippines in October 1944.
Then US president Clinton met with Wei's relatives 56 years later.
American warship named after Chinese rear admiral
In 2003, for the first time in history, American navy named its latest
missile destroyer after Chinese Rear Admiral Gordon P. Chung-Hoon. The
honor was for Chung's outstanding performance in the fights against Japan
on the European battlefield in the World War II.
Born in 1910, Chung Hoon had one half of the blood of original Hawaii,
one fourth Chinese and one fourth British. Before the end of the World War
II in 1945, Chung was the Commanding Officer of the Destroyer USS Sigsbee
DD-502. He was first under Atlantic Ocean escort mission in Europe, and
then fought against Japan in Asia. In a sea battle, Japanese Kamikaze
squadron launched attacks on Sigsbee. Under the instructions of Chung, who
remained composed, the ship shot down 20 Japanese fighters, fought off
Kamikaze and returned with its own power. Chung was awarded Navy Cross and
Silver Star medals of honor by American navy. He retired in 1959 and died
in 1979.
USS Chung-Hoon, a multi-function missile destroyer, was the 43rd among
the 62 Burke-class destroyers. It costs US$ one billion.
Ms. Qian saved Belgian people's lives
Chinese heroine Qian Xiuling, who had settled in Belgium, saved nearly one hundred Belgians from the evil
Nazi. Belgians respectfully call Ms. Qian "the Chinese woman at the
gunpoint of Gestapo", "Chinese woman Schindler" and "Chinese mother in
Belgium".
The World War II brought misfortune to Belgium and resistance started
there in 1941. A young activist in Qian's village was sentenced to death
for joining resistance campaign. Qian ventured to go to Brussels and
persuaded German military officer Alexander von Falkenhausen, a best
friend of her elder cousin, to change the sentence to hard labor.
In June 1944, Ms. Qian persuaded her husband and went to
Falkenhausen's, regardless of her pregnancy. She at last saved 96 hostages
of Belgium's Ecaussinnes city with her courage and wisdom as well as the
help of Falkenhausen.
Falkenhausen was arrested by Gestapo after he returned to Germany and
was about to be brought to court as dissident. In 1950, Falkenhausen was
tried as Germany's top war criminal in Belgium.
Hearing the news, Qian went around appealing in support of
Falkenhausen's righteous deed. She told Belgian reporters that although
Falkenhausen was an invader, he also tried his best to free many Belgians
from fatal disaster.
After the World War II, Ms. Qian was awarded "national hero" medal of
honor by the Belgian government. Ecaussinnes city especially named a
downtown avenue "Ms. Qian Road" to remember the heroic Chinese lady.
By People's Daily Online
