preface
Pictured| Old Wen's full name is James George Winneres
On November 15, 1952, the Chinese Volunteer Army held a unique "Olympic Games" at the Bitong Prisoner of War Camp in northern Korea.
The Olympics can be described as "unprecedented", with participants not other than "Unaffiliated" prisoners of war from the Korean battlefield.
However, taking into account the different physiques of all prisoners of war, the Pogo Office selected more than 500 athletes from more than 13,000 prisoners of war in 6 camps, including the United States, Britain, France and Canada, from 14 countries.
Although the athletes participating in the competition are not professionals, they have quite impressive results:
In the 100-meter "Flying Man War", the 20-year-old African American player John F. Kennedy L. Thomas ran a good time of 10.6 seconds, just 0.4 seconds lower than the world record at the time.
More crucially, the volunteers also prepared generous prizes for these prisoners of war: cloisonné vases, sandalwood fans, silk umbrellas, etc. purchased from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and other places, which cost 600 million yuan (about 60,000 Singapore dollars) alone.
This unique "Prisoner of War Olympic Games" left a deep impression on all the prisoners of war, especially "Old Wen".
Old Wen's full name is James George Winneres, he is a PRISONER of War in the United States Army, more than half a century later, old Wen in Jinan interview, still remember the scene of that year:
"In the camps, the volunteer POW managers carried forward the tradition of giving preferential treatment to the prisoners, treating the prisoners of war like brothers, impressing countless prisoners of war and laying a solid foundation for the development of mass sports among the prisoners of war."
Perhaps because of this, Old Wen made the boldest decision in his life.
That is to stay in China.
He became a prisoner of the volunteer army
Old Win is a Greek-American soldier with the military number RA13009671.
After immigrating to the United States from the generation of old Wen's grandfather, the old Wen family did not change the embarrassment of poor life, especially the economic crisis before World War II, which made the old Wen family worse, the whole family only relied on the father's salary alone is far from enough, old Wen as the eldest son of the family, helpless can only run around to find a job, but it is always difficult to feed, helpless old Wen can only sign up for the army.
In the battlefield of World War II against fascist aggression, as an artilleryman, Lao Wen fought bravely, but unfortunately the end of the war did not bring him good luck, and after the recovery, Lao Wen worked in several factories, and his life was still embarrassing, so in September 1950, Lao Wen signed up for the army for the second time.
This time, he followed the UN forces to the Korean battlefield.
War is never diverted by the individual will of a soldier.
Figure | when Vinaris was captured (second from left)
Old Wen had just been on the battlefield for more than a month when he was captured by the volunteers. Even in the past many years, Old Wen is still very impressed by this.
It was the end of November 1950, and Old Wen was marching toward the Yalu River with a large U.S. army, determined to end the offensive in the Korean battlefield before Christmas, and one night, Old Wen was awakened by a sharp gunshot, and before he could react, he was captured by the volunteers.
It was learned afterwards that the war was a battle in which the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and the Korean People's Army lured the "United Nations Army" into the combat area.
Historical title: The Second Campaign to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
Old Wen was sent to the Bitong POW camp in northern Korea, and later learned that there were 5 more POW camps like this.
For the prisoners on the battlefield, in their minds, being captured by the enemy often means that life is worse than death, in the past war, basically no prisoners survived, they may face endless hard labor, or may be the guards' leather whips, or if they do not pay attention, it is likely to die.
Old Wen also had everything ready.
Unexpectedly, in the Bitong prisoner-of-war camp, a large number of prisoners of war of the "United Nations Army" were given preferential treatment.
Recalling his days in a prisoner-of-war camp, Old Wen once said:
"His life as a prisoner of war was not as full of shame, scolding and corporal punishment as the average person might think; on the contrary, it was full of joy and fraternity: the volunteers did not allow the prisoners of war to work or collect their pockets. As for valuables such as gold watches, they are registered and managed by the management personnel in a unified manner, and returned to them when they are repatriated. The managers also never scolded prisoners of war who made mistakes, but adopted the method of educational communication, and confined them at most, but never for more than a week. The camp did not have barbed wire, let alone the "dense power grid" that some American media at that time said. Enemies on the battlefield of yesteryear became friends. ”
"Enemy" becomes "friend"
It may seem incomprehensible, but that's the reality.
Pictured| Volunteer prisoners of war dine
The standard of food in the POW camp at that time was:
"Each person has 875 grams of grain per day, white noodles and rice have replaced the initial corn and sorghum, 50 grams of cooking oil, 50 grams of meat, 50 grams of fish, 50 grams of eggs, and 25 grams of sugar. The daily meal fee of the ordinary society is 1545 yuan (OLD YUAN), the number of light diseases is 2313 yuan, and the number of serious diseases is 3634 yuan. ”
What concept?
Let's not mention that in the early days of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the Volunteer Army was a handful of fried noodles with white snow, and this food standard was the standard for the small stoves among the personnel at and above the regimental level.
There were also special prisoners of war, such as those who believed in Islam, who were specially transported from home to North Korea in order to take care of these prisoners.
Old Wen was deeply touched by this:
"I remember that after arriving at the prisoner-of-war camp, due to the US military's air 'strangulation war' to block the volunteer army's transportation line in an attempt to prevent the counterattack of the Chinese and North Korean troops, which brought great difficulties to the front-line troops and the supply of materials to the prisoners of war, the volunteer soldiers ate corn, sorghum and pickles every day. We, american prisoners of war who were accustomed to eating beef, bread, cheese, and chocolate, began to fear suffering. However, our fears were superfluous, and we lived very well in the camps. Volunteers organized vehicles to brave the bombing of American planes to bring rice, flour, and meat from home to improve our lives. ”
Pictured| The Olympic Games in the Bitong Prisoner of War Camp
Old Wen remembers many small things in the prisoner of war camp.
Once, when the North Korean masses handed the volunteer soldier an apple, the old Wen's eyes had been staring at the apple, not that he wanted to eat it in that environment, but before it was his turn to think more, the volunteer soldier handed the apple in his hand to him
Old Wen smoked more badly, volunteer soldiers often save their own cigarettes for them to smoke, old Wen likes pens, once a volunteer soldier just received a pen, it was transferred to him, and later this pen has been treasured by Old Wen.
In particular, it is worth mentioning that although these prisoners can feel the warmth of our army at all times in the prisoner-of-war camp, the environment of the war still makes them have many health problems.
When Premier Zhou learned of this incident, he quickly issued instructions: It is necessary to strengthen the nutrition of prisoners of war and take first aid measures.
Pictured| the scene of the 100-meter race at the Prisoner of War Olympic Games
A group of high-level doctors rushed from China to Bitong, North Korea, and set up a general hospital for prisoners of war.
Both physically and psychologically, these prisoners of war were taken care of with great care.
Of course, what made Lao Wen even more unexpected was that although he had never met Premier Zhou, Premier Zhou saved him once.
Decided to stay in China
On July 27, 1953, after the signing of the Armistice Agreement of the Korean War, all prisoners of war during the war on both sides were repatriated in accordance with the provisions of the agreement.
However, the United States violated the Geneva Convention and implemented the so-called "voluntary repatriation" policy, but what even the United States did not expect was that this policy later caused changes, and the DPRK and China decided to repatriate all 12,773 prisoners of war, of which 23 of the more than 4,300 PRISONERs of war of the US military decided to go to China, and the British were accompanied by them.
Old Wen has his own siblings and mother in the United States, but he finally made this decision, but many people did not expect it. Afterwards, it was recalled:
"I lived in Korea for two years and 10 months, and for two years and eight months I lived with the volunteers. I lived without food and clothing in the United States, but in the volunteer camps I lived well, treated humanely, with meat and vegetables at almost every meal. My companions and I were able to turn from enemies on the battlefield to friends with the volunteers... Entering a volunteer prisoner-of-war camp was a new beginning in my life. I chose China not on impulse, but on a deliberate note. I hope to learn more about China and seek the truth. ”
Pictured | prisoners of war wearing cotton clothes in the Bitong prisoner of war camp
In order to make these people change their minds, the United States sent priests and priests to persuade them, and Old Wen was very impressed by this:
"At Panmunjom, the U.S. authorities tried to persuade me by offering all sorts of preferential terms. An American officer gave me a lot of books and a lot of gifts, saying that when I returned to the United States, he could arrange a job with an annual salary of $700,000 and help me find a beautiful girl as a wife. “
Old Wen finally said, "I resisted the sugar-coated shells and made up my mind to go to China, and I still think that my choice was correct at that time."
Two prisoners of war were also persuaded to return home and were doomed. Edward Dickenson and Claude Beckler were tried by military tribunals on one of the charges of "fornication with the enemy and misconduct during prisoners of war", one sentenced to 10 years in prison and the other to life imprisonment, although the two were later released after only 3 years of imprisonment, but their experience also made the US prisoners of war who decided to stay in China feel that their decision was very correct.
However, for the choice to live in China, these 21 prisoners of war are more fresh, but they have different cultures and identities, although they have received relatively good treatment, but in the following years, 18 people have left China, some of them returned to the United States, some went to settle in a third country.
In view of all this, China's attitude is: respect my own wishes and come and go freely.
Pictured| Winneres with his wife
After being sent to Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, for a year, Lao Wen and others were sent to the Beijing Red Cross Society, which also gave them many choices, either to go to college, or to a farm or a factory.
Lao Wen chose to go to the factory, so he was assigned to the Paper Mill in Jinan, Shandong.
At the beginning, there were indeed many unsuitable places in life, such as not speaking Chinese and living habits.
More crucially, the factory workers first heard that he was a prisoner of the Us army and had a feeling of hatred.
However, what moved Lao Wen was that after his deeds were later made public, the factory workers changed their attitude towards him, and everyone began to help him adapt to life, and the name "Lao Wen" began to be called from this time, and everyone no longer rejected him, but regarded him as his own.
In 1963, on the recommendation of the factory, the Red Cross Society of China submitted Lao Wen to Chinese University, and after graduation, Lao Wen, who had more choices, still decided to return to Jinan To work in a paper mill.
Lao Wen's behavior also made the workers very moved:
"Old Wen Zhen has a heart with us, and has not forgotten us!"
Through the introduction of workers, old Wen married in China and had children, the first wife was a Shandong girl, the two lived for 10 years after marriage, the wife died of lung disease, did not leave children, through the matchmaking of workers, old Wen married a 32-year-old divorced Bai Xirong, the two were very happy after marriage, and later gave birth to four children, old Wen gave Chinese names to the children.
In the mid-1960s, because of his identity, Lao Wen was also labeled an "American secret agent", and at that time, some Red Guards from Beijing ran to Jinan to take Lao Wen to Beijing to "criticize the struggle".
Pictured| a family portrait of Winneres in his later years
The factory workers and Lao Wen have been getting along for more than ten years, and they already have deep feelings, they will protect Lao Wen and prevent people from taking him, or Premier Zhou heard about this matter and made a special instruction:
Winneres was an "international peace warrior," and no one could touch a single hair of his. ”
Because of the appearance of Premier Zhou, Lao Wen survived.
As a distinguished professor of Shandong University, enjoying professor-level treatment and medical treatment, the Red Cross Society of China arranged a house of more than 100 square meters for him.
What is even more gratifying is that since 1977, the state has arranged a plane ticket to and from the United States for Lao Wen every four years, giving Him the opportunity to return to his hometown.
The elderly mother said to Old Wen: You must be worthy of the Chinese people
Unexpectedly, Old Wen has lived in China for more than 50 years, but he is still an American citizen.
In the 1960s, Lao Wen proposed to join the Chinese nationality and become a Chinese in the true sense, but at that time China was in a special era, and he was still unable to take care of himself, so Lao Wen's request was mostly destroyed in the sea. Although he has lived in China for more than 50 years, he must go to the foreign affairs department of the Jinan Municipal Government every year to go through the routine registration procedures for staying in China.
In 1972, US President Richard Nixon visited China and began a new journey in Sino-US relations.
Old Wen once said with great pride and pride:
"I came to China 20 years before President Nixon, and I am more honored than Nixon. Now that China and the United States have established diplomatic relations, I and all my Chinese friends and American friends are very happy, and the great Chinese and American peoples should continue to be friendly from generation to generation and join hands to jointly move toward a better future. ”
In 1976, Wen finally had a chance to return to the United States.
Pictured| Winnerius and his family
Old Wen, who was originally prepared to stay for only half a year, was later forced to extend to 11 months, and many universities and organizations in the United States invited Old Wen to give speeches to them, and Old Wen was also happy to make some contributions to promoting the development of Sino-US relations, so his footprints began to spread throughout major states in the United States.
However, there were still a lot of unpleasant things that happened during this period.
Old Wen's behavior has attracted the attention of some right-wing groups in the United States and the FBI. When he lived in his mother's house in Los Angeles, the FBI had planned to install a wiretap in their neighbor's home, but the neighbor refused, and later whenever Old Wen went to a place to speak, FBI agents would be on the scene to monitor.
Some media magazines in the United States have two diametrically opposed attitudes towards Lao Wen's many years of life experience in China.
Some consider him an "ambassador of peace," while others think he has been brainwashed and openly calls him a traitor, a lunatic.
Old Wen didn't have much geography to know these different voices.
Despite such an embarrassing situation, Old Wen continued to insist, in fact, most of the Americans sided with him, helping him and encouraging him:
"As long as what you say is your personal experience and is conducive to the development of Sino-US friendship, no one dares to intervene in you."
What is even more touching is the attitude of old Wen's mother.
Pictured| Winneres with his wife in his later years
In 1983, Old Wen returned to the United States los Angeles mother's home, when the mother was 96 years old, although the physical condition is not very good, but the thinking is still clear, she listened to her son about the situation of life in China, and said to his son in a serious tone:
"Chinese so good to you, you must be worthy of the people of Chinese."
Perhaps in Lao Wen's mind, the only regret is that he was not able to join the Chinese nationality until his death.
In 2000, old Wen returned to the United States for the third time, and after only half a year, he returned to China, and many people asked him curiously:
"The U.S. economy is so developed, and now there are many people in society who want to do everything they can to think of the United States, so why didn't you choose to spend your old age in the United States?"
Old Wen replied:
"The United States is a country that only recognizes 'money', the human touch is weak, and many elderly people have a rather miserable life in their later years." I have wives and children in China, granddaughters, and so many good friends who have cared for me, China pays me a few thousand yuan a month in retirement wages, and all my medical expenses are borne by the public. Every time you return to the United States to visit relatives, your salary will be paid, and you will also be paid a trip fee and a round-trip air ticket. I'm living well now, so why should I go back to the United States? When I came back to the United States, I had nothing.
"My roots are in China, I want to die in the arms of my Chinese mother, and my ashes will be scattered in the Yellow River in the future..."
In his later years, Lao Wen also had a wish, that is, to join the Communist Party of China, but the premise was that Lao Wen must become a Chinese citizen.
Pictured| Winneres teaching English at Shandong University
The relevant departments took into account that it was more beneficial for the country and society for Lao Wen to retain his AMERICAN citizenship, so Lao Wen's wish was ultimately not fulfilled.
In 2004, Lao Wen accidentally fell, and during hospitalization, he died of a sudden and vicious disease at the age of 82. After Lao Wen's death, his family buried him in a cemetery in Jinan according to his wishes.
As a person with a special experience, Lao Wen's life can be said to have gone through hardships, but he is also lucky, especially after coming to China, the people around him have selflessly cared for and cared for him, which makes Lao Wen very moved, and Lao Wen devoted himself to publicizing China in his later years and committed to the development of Sino-US relations, perhaps as he said:
"The great Chinese and American peoples should continue to be friendly from generation to generation and join hands to jointly move toward a better future."