Hwa-Fu Visits Over 50 Countries’ Veterans of the Sino-Japanese War, Forced to Flee to the United States.

“The world knows this part of history, only we Chinese people don’t,” said Ms. Wang, a volunteer exiled in the United States. Like most volunteers, she felt anger and betrayal after learning the true history of the anti-Japanese war, prompting her to join the volunteer activities to care for veterans.

In 2011, after retiring from a state-owned enterprise, Ms. Wang devoted herself to caring for veterans of the anti-Japanese war. She mentioned that she learned about the history of the Nationalist Army’s resistance against Japan through the internet. She visited over 50 veterans, listening to their combat experiences and the persecutions they faced during various political movements.

“This is a group marginalized and forgotten within the country. They have many stories and much true history, and we aim to uncover these histories,” she said.

It was introduced that 13 years ago, volunteers found that there were over 50,000 veterans of the National Revolutionary Army nationwide, but now there are only around 3,000 remaining. For a long time, the lives of these veterans of the anti-Japanese war have been mainly supported by the civilian population. Initially, volunteers struggled to raise even 50 yuan per month, with many volunteers putting in their own money. Now, they can provide veterans with 500 to 800 yuan per month.

In 2013, Wang Min, a delegate to the National People’s Congress from Hong Kong, proposed including anti-Japanese war veterans as beneficiaries of preferential treatment. The Ministry of Civil Affairs responded that the beneficiaries under its responsibility are mainly retired soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army, and veterans of the Kuomintang anti-Japanese war who reside in mainland China are not within the scope of preferential treatment. However, a notice was issued, requiring civil affairs departments at all levels to carry out relevant work for veterans of the Kuomintang’s anti-Japanese war, including integrating them into urban and rural subsistence allowances and rural “five guarantees.”

Ms. Wang said, “The Ministry of Civil Affairs claims to recognize the identity of the anti-Japanese war veterans, but shamefully, the government only provides spiritual solace, while the veterans’ livelihood is supported by local communities. During meetings, when they invite veterans to speak on stage, they are handed a red flower, and their food and drink expenses are funded by the public. You should take care of the anti-Japanese war veterans and provide them with a dignified old age.”

“A few places had volunteers repeatedly communicate with them and, in the end, provided each veteran with a monthly living allowance of 3,000 yuan. There are few places nationwide like this, perhaps just one or two. Some leaders of the civil affairs departments in certain provinces and cities are descendants of veterans, so they helped implement this. Most places across the country do not have this.”

This year marks the centennial of the founding of the Whampoa Military Academy. In mid-June, both mainland China and Taiwan held related commemorative events. Zou Shuangxi, a Whampoa alumnus, interviewed by Radio Free Asia, expressed that as many senior officials have mentioned, while the physical Whampoa Military Academy is in mainland China, its spirit resides in Taiwan.

In response, Ms. Wang said, “I just want to ask the Communist Party: you’ve run the Whampoa Military Academy for so many years, how many generals sacrificed on the anti-Japanese battlefield? Only with these credentials can you claim to possess the Whampoa spirit.”

“I posed a question online: there is a school with 200,000 graduates during the War of Resistance Against Japan, and 190,000 sacrificed on the battlefield; then there is another school where 95% of graduates ended up in prison, which school is this? It’s the Central Party School. In one anti-corruption campaign of the Chinese Communist Party, over 200 generals ‘sacrificed.’ During the War of Resistance Against Japan, over 200 generals were also ‘sacrificed.’ Why such a significant disparity among generals?”

Ms. Wang stated that many Nationalist Army veterans face discrimination and persecution by the government. When volunteers visit them, they are too afraid to admit they are veterans of the National Revolutionary Army.

“Many of these veterans come from the Whampoa Military Academy; they are cultured and knowledgeable. They first emphasize one crucial point: we are the Chinese National Revolutionary Army, not Chiang Kai-shek’s party army; we are the national army. We fought for the country during the War of Resistance Against Japan. Therefore, it is highly unreasonable for the Communist Party to pour all its hatred towards Chiang Kai-shek onto us. They delineate this matter very clearly.”

“They were heroes of the anti-Japanese war, risking their lives in battle, covered in gunpowder and bullet scars. Just because they participated in the Kuomintang, they were thrown into labor camps by the Communist Party. What crime did they commit? I am furious about this. I only started on this path at the age of sixty, becoming a volunteer to care for veterans.”

“During the anti-Japanese war, the Communist Party only walked to Yan’an, barely participating in a few anti-Japanese battles. Yet their veterans are treated so well. Those considered anti-Japanese veterans must have participated in the revolution before August 15 of 1945. However, these true Nationalist Army anti-Japanese war veterans can’t even eat, the disparity is infuriating.”

Ms. Wang recounted several tragic stories of veterans, each one tear-jerking.

In 1942, the Chinese Expeditionary Force entered Myanmar to assist the Allied Forces in combat while also guarding the Burma Road, the last international transportation line. From 1942 to 1944, the Chinese Expeditionary Force entered Myanmar twice, ultimately recapturing the territory, but suffered casualties totaling over 100,000.

Yuan Xiangbin, an intelligence officer at the headquarters of the New 6th Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force (a major), once recounted how after the outbreak of the nationwide anti-Japanese war, he immediately applied to attend military school and was subsequently assigned to the intelligence team of the New 6th Army. Around the spring of 1944, the unit began counterattacks from India, capturing places like Kechao Mian and Meng Gong, almost wiping out the enemy, with the Japanese retreating… after the Japanese surrender, they were then airlifted to Nanjing to take over the city.

After 1949, he was saddled with historical guilt, his family property was divided up, and he went through various political campaigns, enduring great suffering. In 1958, he was sent to the Qinghai Lake Farm for labor reform…

Ms. Wang said, “I followed two Expeditionary Force veterans, both passed away last year (2013). Yuan Xiangbin lived to be 103 years old. He spent thirty years in Qinghai and only returned to his hometown in Tiantai County, Zhejiang in 1989, with nowhere to settle down. The government asked him to fill out a form, where the field for his identity read ‘remnants of the Kuomintang,’ but he staunchly refused. Unable to receive government subsidies, he would rather scavenge for garbage, do odd jobs to make a living, it was very tragic.”

There was a veteran from Hunan, Li Xiquan, who ended up stranded in Myanmar, only ending his expedition in 2008 to return to his homeland. “His final wish was to find his family. After reuniting with his family, he asked his descendants to carry him up the mountain to visit his parents’ graves, intending to kowtow to them, but he was too old, his legs wouldn’t support him. Eventually, he collapsed there, bowing to his parents, saying: ‘I have served the country and nation well, but the one I’ve wronged the most in my life is you. Wait for me, I’m coming soon to join you, you are the one I wronged the most…'”

Then there was a veteran named Wu Dehou, a former major general of the 29th Army of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army. “The Northwest Army is best known for their large blades; with insufficient weapons, they rely on big knives for training, their knife skills are remarkable. Wu Dehou has been at the forefront since joining the National Revolutionary Army, very brave. In the Battle of Tai’erzhuang, he organized a 40-man suicide squad, armed with large knives and rifles, charged into battle against the Japanese invaders, fighting until only 3 people returned, he brought back 2 soldiers, the rest had all sacrificed. At the time, he was already a battalion commander, but all who volunteered were officers, including cadre-level officers. They didn’t behave like we saw in movies growing up, with an officer carrying a gun in the back yelling: ‘Charge or I’ll shoot you dead!’ In reality, they were the first to charge in.”

“This veteran was sentenced to prison after 1949, and his family’s property was taken away. Then there was almost a campaign or movement every year, he endured a lot of suffering. He was sent to the Qinghai Lake Farm for labor reform….”