Persecuted veterans finally vindicated
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After the Japanese left, the civil war began. The nationalist Kuomintang redirected their soldiers in Yunnan to northeastern provinces to fight the Communist Party.
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Veteran Cai Linsen (center), briefly returns to Shanghai in 1954 to take this picture with his brothers Cai Shouxin (left) and Cai Yunhui (right). |
"We came to Yunnan knowing our nation was invaded by another country," Xiong said, "but we didn't want to fight our own people so I refused to go. But there was another group of soldiers who were simply frightened by the war and deserted."
For defying orders, Xiong was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment by the Kuomintang. He didn't spend a single minute in jail, but instead went to hide in the more remote mountains of Yunnan.
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Cai Linsen (right) reunites with his brothers in Shanghai. Cai Yunhui (left) died on December 31. Cai Shouxin (center) still lives in Shanghai. |
Persecuted for patriotism
The founding of New China in 1949 handed Xiong and his comrades a chance to step out and restart their life.
Without money and having lost contact with their families, the soldiers found themselves unable or prevented from returning home.
"Most of us were doing manual labor. A few entered factories," Xiong said.
Having mostly survived the Anti-Rightist Movement of the late 1950s, former Kuomintang soldiers could not avoid the 1966- 1976 Cultural Revolution.
The Red Guards soon identified Xiong and his comrades as evil remnants of enemy forces.
"I was afraid," said the 88-year-old World War II veteran.
"Many others were afraid. We burnt our old photos, Kuomintang party certificates as well as all the things that would indicate we were former Kuomintang soldiers.
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