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Veterans journey back to DPRK
Fifty years have passed since 76-year-old military veteran Peng Changshi has made it back to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). A team of former Chinese People's Volunteer Army will pay a visit at the end of this month to the place where they fought wars and made sacrifices. The 10-member team includes veterans and relatives of the martyrs who died during the Korean War (1950-1953). They will stay there for one week starting tomorrow. They said they have four missions, including holding a memorial activity, setting up Sino-DPRK school communication, prompting commercial connections and seeking to establish long-term channels for veterans between the two nations, according to Ning Dianyun. Ning told China Daily that the group will visit battle sites that have not been open to foreigners since the end of war. Ning himself is also one of the one and a half million volunteer army soldiers. "The youngest among these soldiers who took part in the war is now over 70 years old now. And many of them have never been back since 1954," said Ning. Li Jiaying is the only relative of a soldier among the group. She is the sister of hero Li Jiafa who heroically attacked an enemy blockhouse. "My mom always wanted to be there to take a look at the place where my brother died when she was alive. This time I would bring my parents' photo to his tomb to fulfill her dream," said Li. "And I will tell my brother that the nation he defended is becoming stronger and prosperous." According to Ning, there were many heroes such as Li Jiafa during the war. They even included Chairman Mao's son, Mao Anying. Yang Daqun, then a famous army reporter, was the first one who discovered Mao Anying's story. "I did not knew he was Chairman Mao's son but only wrote reports about the moving stories I found," recalled Yang. Mao Anying was killed in an air attack. "Somebody has suggested I write a book on Mao Anying after his sacrifices. But it was turned down by Chairman Mao. He said five of his family had devoted their lives to the nation's revolutionary cause." At the very beginning, the volunteer army suffered great losses due to ill-equipped air-defence forces. "The enemy's plane was so arrogant that they bombed everything they found on the ground... even the local Koreans' cow-drawn wagon," recalled Shen Minghe, a famous hero. He shot down an enemy plane with a common rifle. "I just could not help countering back," said Shen. And Shen joked that it was due to his skilled slingshot technique practiced during childhood. "I can still remember those comrades who died in the foreign land. They sacrificed themselves for our security and prosperity," recalled Shen. "But they live forever in our hearts." During yesterday's news conference, he was too emotional to go on speaking when talking about the war that has passed for 50 years. Besides holding memorial activities, the group is taking a gift and goodwill of local Chinese primary schools to their DPRK counterparts. "We are old. So we must pass our patriotism to the next generation and help push forward the friendship between our two countries," said Ning. Students from local Anying Primary School have made 1,000 Qianzhihe ( paper cranes) for the trip and are hoping the DPRK children live happy and peaceful lives. Ning also noted the delegation will talk to DPRK government officials to seek the establishment of a channel for veterans and their relatives who want to visit the DPRK. |
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