Descendants of General Stilwell, Dixie Mission visit China

Descendants of former U.S. General Joseph Stilwell and descendants of members of the Army Observation Group have come to China to remind themselves of the joint efforts and sacrifices made for peace between China and the United States.

Joseph Warren Stilwell, a renowned U.S. Army general in World War II, served in many positions including chief of staff of the allied China theater.

He devoted huge effort to supporting the Chinese people in their resistance against the Japanese invasion, forging a deep and enduring friendship with the Chinese people.

After he died, his descendants have remained committed to enhancing people-to-people exchanges between the United States and China.

Stilwell's former residence in Chongqing in Southwest China has now been turned into a museum to commemorate his great contribution to and friendship with the Chinese people. His descendants admired the photographs of the general, which date back to when he was just a young schoolboy. His old belongings and even his diary are on display at the museum.

The visiting descendants said there is a special bond between their family and the Chinese people, which today promotes a form of communication between the two nations.

"I think we're seeing the exact same things that General Stilwell saw when he lived here. The hospitality, the friendliness, the graciousness. It's our first trip to China and it's been really wonderful to see it firsthand. We have always heard about it now we get to experience it for ourselves," said David Bunce, Stilwell's great-grandson.

"The more we learn about each other, the more time we share with each other, we were able to knock down those perceptions and barriers that we thought we had and learn to get along learn to have fun, and you know enjoy our lives together and build friendships and relationships going forward," said Andrew Bunce, Stilwell's great-grandson.

At Stilwell's suggestion, in 1944, the United States army sent an observation group to Yan'an to investigate, also known as the Dixie Mission. This created conditions for direct exchanges between the United States government and the Communist Party of China (CPC) and made positive contributions toward helping the world comprehensively understand the CPC and its armed struggle against Japanese aggression.

One of the group's members was Paul Domke, whose descendants cherish his bravery and openness.

"It's an incredible example of bravery and trust, and the trust that comes from openness and communicating. And I think that we have a lot to learn from that example of bravery on both sides. As you mentioned, my cultural background is through Hawaiian culture, I look forward to learning about the rich cultural heritage of your people, the Chinese people, and celebrate its richness and find opportunities for connectivity through that as well," said Sarah Sterling, Paul Domke's granddaughter.

Descendants of General Stilwell, Dixie Mission visit China

The window is closing on the chance to capture the oral history of World War II, said the director of a recent historical documentary, "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru."

Depicting the story of courageous Chinese fishermen who rescued 384 British prisoners of war (POWs) amid heavy Japanese gunfire during the war, the documentary relies on the first-hand accounts of the last surviving witnesses and veterans.

During a recent interview with China Global Television Network, director Fang Li said that when he happened to hear the story of Lisbon Maru from fishermen in Zhoushan Islands, east China's Zhejiang Province, where the historical event took place, he decided that the full story must be told.

"Where did they come from? Why are they here? What happened here? So that's a very strong curiosity and also deep sad feeling about that. They're so far away from Europe, right in front of our gate. So there's a touching point. You remembered those lost lives and forgotten men. So when I return to the shore, then I heard the only surviving POW Dennis Morley, who is 98 years old already. The only [living] fisherman who rescued POWs, Mr. Lin, he is 94 years old. Then you know, the time is critical, very short. As I believe, that's the last window. If we don't do anything, we're going to lose all the oral history," said Fang.

In October 1942, the Lisbon Maru, a cargo vessel requisitioned by the Japanese army to carry over 1,800 British POWs from Hong Kong to Japan, was sunk by the U.S. army off the Zhoushan Islands in China's Zhejiang Province. Local fishermen risked their lives to rescue over 300 POWs.

On June 14, "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru" made its global premiere in Shanghai. It took around eight years to finish, as the production team interviewed more than 110 families of the Lisbon Maru survivors.

The 123-minute documentary features extensive interviews with survivors and their descendants in China's Zhoushan Islands and Hong Kong, as well as in Britain, the United States and Japan.

On the ongoing conflicts such as the Ukraine crisis and the escalating situation in the Middle East, Fang said that by making the documentary, he wanted to show the world that war can only bring suffering and trauma for ordinary people.

"I think the lesson everybody wants to learn is for any war, there's no winner. And for people, for normal people, there's no winner. Any war that happens, civilians, families are the victims, always. Not for the politicians, but for the normal people (who) suffer a lot," said the director.

Lisbon Maru documentary strives to uncover untold WWII history: director