David E.Feldman’s new book Born of War (Writers Club Press, 2001, available bn.com) takes me back to the year 1944 during World War II and to the southwest China’s city of Kunming where the US 14th Air Force was stationed. On its cover, the picture of Chinese leader Mao Zedong standing side by side with American GI Private First Class Howard Hyman reminds me of China’s wartime capital Chongqing right after the V-J Day in 1945.
It is a fiction but, as declared on its cover, “Based on A True Story of American-Chinese Friendship”. As one of the characters involved in the true story, I tend to agree with the “Author’s Note” that it is based on a true story only certain names and circumstances were changed for self-evident considerations. The author even attempts to distinguish for the readers between what was true and what was not. And “to show the effect of war on various individuals, additional characters and story lines were ‘imagined’.”
The young American soldiers were coming as part of Allied forces to the battlefield of China to fight together with the Chinese troops against the Japanese aggressive invaders. But they were depressed to see in the area under Kuomintang rule full of ragged beggars in the streets while the government and army officials making fortunes out of US supplies. When some of them heard that in the liberated areas, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, things were different, they wanted to find out more. By chance, some of them, including Howard Hyman, came into contact with a group of English-speaking Chinese university students, including myself, who shared their knowledge and views of China and the world with them. These young Chinese came from the wartime university Xinan Lianda (Southwest Associated University) in Kunming associated from China’s three most famous universities of Tsinghua, Beida and Nankai which were based in Peking and Tiantsin before the war broke out in 1937. By that time, Lianda was already known as “Bulwark of Democracy” in China’s student movements. We met almost every fortnight for a year and half exchanging our views through indoor discussions and picnics in the parks. We talked about our respective countries, the ongoing war and what the postwar world might be like. All of us had ideals. We cared about the future of humanity. We certainly had differences here and there. But we were closely bound by one common aspiration: do our bit to help establish a just society and a world where people can live in peace with each other. History has proved these contacts have become a significant part of both their lives and for some of them helped a great deal in shaping their outlook on future.
Demobilized and about to leave for home, three of the American GI group, Howard Hyman, Edward Bell and Jack Edelman, still yearned to meet the people from the liberated area and made their way to the CCP office in Chongqing where Mao Zedong was negotiating with Chiang Kai-shek on the future of China after the war. They were warmly received by no less a person than Zhou Enlai. Later they were exhilarated by even being invited to dine with its top leader Mao Zedong. At that unforgettable dinner, Mao asked them to tell people back home what they had seen in China. In his view, Mao said, Chinese and Americans had much in common, and a great friendship was bound to develop between the two peoples. Mao also posed for a photo with the three young Americans in the courtyard outside his office. This picture has now become a historical relic symbolizing the friendship between Chinese and American peoples. Copies are on display in museums in Chongqing and Beijing. That was the highlight of these American Gis’ stay in China.
As history rolled on, China changed drastically and dramatically. The Chinese people founded their own People’s Republic and Chiang Kai-shed fled to the island of Taiwan with his supporters in 1949. The huge amounts of arms and money the U.S. government had lavished on Chiang could not save him from the hatred of his own people. Even Dean Acheson, then US Secretary of State, had to declare: “We have tried to exercise influence over these forces, but to no avail.” Instead of being reconciled to its failure, the US government tried various means to strangle the newborn People’s Republic in its cradle. Sino-American relations entered a long period of confrontation and hostility. Our relations with the young Americans were suspended, though nothing in the world could erase the memories of friendship we mutually cherished.
The thaw did not come until US President Richard Nixon came to visit Beijing in 1972 and a new page of US-China relations opened in 1979 when the diplomatic relations were resumed between our two countries. I was luckily chosen as one of the first Chinese correspondents stationed in the US. On the very first day upon arriving Washington DC, I was thrilled by an extraordinary pot of flowers sent by two of the American GIs, Ed Bell, Howard Hyman and their wives, to greet me. The next day they came from New York and we had a great reunion after more than thirty years.
That is roughly the network of a true story Born of War was based on, though with the names and circumstances changed. The author first learned about it when he was only a 19-year-old boy visiting China in 1976 as a member of Howard Hyman’s family. Deeply impressed by this unusual and compelling friendship, he threw himself in digging out all its possible details through uncle Howard and his friends, both Americans and Chinese. For ten years of unremitting efforts he finally succeeded in bringing this fascinating tale to the public, especially to the young generations. As its reader remarks that Born of War “reminding us that we can learn so much more about politics and history when we look at the human bonds that develop in the midst of major events.”
In spite of the ups and downs in relations between the two governments during these years, the people of the two countries, who have so much in common, have not and will never let their friendship be interrupted. Particularly at this moment when the new Bush Administration is actually moving the US-China relations to another zigzag turn, it would be advisable to look back through the friendship Born of war what lessons should be learned. Now, too green to be a President, George W. Bush announced he would defend Taiwan if it is attacked as if he is taking care of his “protectorate”. He should be well reminded of the history and geography of China. At least, he should read Born of War!
(China.org.cn by Zhang Yan 06/15/2001)
