红色记忆新四军︱在和平的天空下，记我参加过抗战的姥爷（作者/朱元 Jonathan Zhang）

·中英双语版·

在和平的天空下

——记我参加过抗战的姥爷

World War II 70th Year Anniversary

美国底特律中文学校

AP班 朱元 Jonathan Zhang

指导老师肖芃

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今年（2015年）是世界反法西斯战争胜利 70 周年，也是中国抗击日本侵略战争胜利 70 周年。我更深切地怀念我的姥爷朱光。他是参加过抗日战争的老兵。

我的姥爷于1920年出生在安徽，比我整整大80岁。大家都说我长得最像他。他个子不很高，脸上总是带着笑。在比我现在的年龄大一点的时候，我的姥爷到他伯父的中药堂去做学徒。1937年日本侵略中国，抗日的新四军路过他们那里去招兵，他就瞒着家里，和几个朋友跟新四军走了。那时候打仗伤亡很大，军队扩招的人数也很多。我姥爷他进过几年学堂，会读书认字, 所以参军的第一天就当了班长，连一天士兵也没有当过。

。。。。。。

当年和姥爷一起去参军的好多同乡、朋友都牺牲了，没能看到胜利这一天。其中一位同乡是他的好朋友，对我的姥爷像对弟弟一样。在晚上天冷的时候，他会把姥爷的双脚抱在自己的怀里为他取暖。他的个子比较高，被派去了机枪班扛机枪。机枪手和红旗手在前线是最显眼的，因而也是最危险的。没过多久他就牺牲了。我的姥爷很幸运，死神只接近过他两次。有一次一颗子弹穿过他的帽子留了一个洞，差一点打到他的头；还有一次他在战壕里趴着，有一颗子弹打到他边上，溅起的泥土把他右眼都盖住了。

打仗时伤亡很大，医务人员不够，我姥爷曾经在中医药堂里干过，后来就被调到了卫生队，抢救护理伤员。那时缺医少药，也不分科. 就这样，姥爷做过很多手术，救过很多人。他为司令员治过牙周炎，为老乡接生过新生儿，甚至还治疗过受伤或者生病的日本俘虏。那些日本俘虏很感激姥爷。战争结束后交换战俘，那些日本战俘回到日本后失去联系，再也没有见过了。

在姥爷的追悼会上有一位将军。我叫他舅舅。他送的花篮上面写着“救命之恩，永生难忘”。这位将军出生在抗日年代。他的妈妈和我姥爷在一起工作。1944年四月的一天日本军侵占他们住的村子，敌众我寡，他的妈妈带他和姥爷他们一起躲避在二百米远的山边密林中。当时这位将军只有四五个月大，在黑黑的夜晚，突然哭了起来。大家都非常紧张害怕，因为孩子的哭声会让敌人发现整个队伍。孩子的妈妈赶紧用被子把孩子嘴捂起来不让他出声。但孩子不懂事，还使劲哭，这时有人喊“卡死他”。看到孩子被捂得脸发青，喘不上气来，姥爷急中生智地对他妈妈说“快给他喂奶”。他妈妈赶紧喂他奶。孩子慢慢地缓过气来，也安静下来。几十年过去了，他已成为一名将军。每次见到姥爷他还都要说“您是我的救命恩人”。

。。。..。。。

姥爷说每次打仗都死很多人，他的许多朋友同乡都倒下了。他因为在卫生队，不在第一线打仗，活到了战争结束。有一次我的妈妈去拜访我姥爷以前的上级，他对我妈妈说：“你爸爸在前线战斗非常勇敢，几次遭到敌人围攻，非常危险。如果后来不是我把你爸爸带在卫生队，说不定会被打死了。”他还开玩笑说：“那就没有你喽！”如果真是这样，那也就没有我了。

姥爷非常怀念他失去的同乡和朋友，经常想找到他们的家里人帮助他们。能找到的他就想法联系当地政府，介绍这些烈士的情况，为他们申请抚恤金和烈属待遇。 但遗憾的是很多人都没有留下他们家里人的姓名或地址。我姥爷他经常说“我很幸运能够活到今天。我非常知足了。”所以我的姥爷一直都是很开朗、很乐观的。

。。。。。。

我的姥爷2010年离开了我们。至今我仍然怀念他爽朗的笑声和亲切的面容。虽然我不能够再听到他讲他自己的故事了，但我能够代替他把故事传承下去。

今天，在我们的星球上，还是有很多地方燃烧着战火，每天都有无辜的人死去。在第二次世界大战结束70周年，纪念为此付出生命，在战争中牺牲的人们，同时也提醒我们，必须珍惜生活，珍惜生命，珍惜人的尊严。我相信，在人类吸取无数战争的惨痛教训后，会团结起来，为促进和平、民主、自由、平等、公正、友爱而努力。如果今天我的姥爷还在这里，我知道他会说，建立持久和平的世界是我们作为人类最伟大的责任!■

English

*World War II 70th Year Anniversary*

      *My grandfather*

This year marks not only the 70th anniversary of V-E Day, but also the 70th anniversary since Japan surrendered after World War II. Thinking about this reminds me of my maternal grandfather, Guang Zhu, a World War II veteran.

My grandfather was born in 1920 in a rural village in AnHui Province, China. He was born exactly 80 years before I was. When he was about my age, he worked as an apprentice at a Chinese apothecary owned by his uncle. In 1937, China was officially pulled into World War II after Japan invaded. The military experienced great losses and recruited heavily to make up for it. When a Chinese army stopped by his town to recruit soldiers, my grandfather, without telling his family, and his childhood friends joined the army to defend their country. My grandfather had gone to school for a few years and knew how to read and write, so he was selected to be a squadron leader on the first day, without even being a soldier for a day.

。。。。。。

The Chinese soldiers all made life sacrifices for their country. Most of my grandfather’s friends did not make it past the war.  One of his best friends from his village served in the same unit, who treated my grandfather as if he were his little brother. During cold nights, he would hold my grandfather's feet, and wrap them in his own clothes to  warm them up. Because this friend was tall and strong, he was assigned to the machine gun squadron a short while later. This was one of the most dangerous positions, like the flag holder, because they were the main targets on the front lines. Within a few months, he was killed in action.

My grandfather was really fortunate to survive the war. He had two near-death experiences that he could remember clearly even when he was 90 years old. Both times were when he was in an infantry unit. The first time, a bullet shot through his hat and left a gaping hole only one inch away from the tip of his head. The other time was when he was crouching in a trench firing a gun, when suddenly a bullet shot the ground right next to him. He recalls, “I was blinded in the right eye because of the dirt that exploded from the ground when the bullet hit it”.

There were large number of war casualties, and the army was short on paramedics. Since my grandfather had worked at a Chinese apothecary before, he was picked to the medical team a short while later to rescue and nurse the wounded. My grandfather performed many surgeries and amputations because there were a lack of medicine and antibiotics. He also treated the tooth infection of the general commander and delivered babies on the roads or in nearby villages. He saved the lives of countless people, even the injured or sickened prisoners of war from Japan. They were very grateful to my grandfather, but at the end of the war, when those POW returned back to Japan, they lost contact and never saw each other again.

I remember at my grandfather’s funeral, there was a general, who was a family friend, who sent a giant flower arrangement that spelled out: 救命之恩，永生难忘 which translates to “Saver of Lives, One who you will never Forget”. This general was born during World War II. His mother was a medic on the same team as my grandfather. One day in April, 1944 the Japanese army invaded the village they were located at.  His mother took him with my grandfather and others to hide in bushes 200 meters away from the soldiers. It was a dark night when suddenly, the general, only 4-5 months old at the time, started crying. Everyone froze in terror, for they knew if the Japanese troops heard the baby's cries, they would find the entire team and all of them would die. The child's mother quickly tried to cover up the baby’s mouth with a blanket, but he cried even harder. Someone shouted "strangle him!" Seeing the baby’s face turning blue, my grandfather suddenly had an ingenious idea; "Breast-feed him," he told the mother. She complied immediately. The baby started to calm down; his face gradually became pink again. This was a small act of heroism for my grandfather, and yet even 70 years later, the general still tells everyone that my grandfather “is my lifesaver and my hero”.

。。..。。。。

My grandpa told us “war is unforgiving and cruel. There were many lives lost during each battle, and those people were unable see the day of victory.”  Fortunately, my grandfather was on the medical team and survived to see the end of the war. Once, my mom visited my grandfather’s ex-supervisor. He told my mom: “It was me that brought your father to the medical team. If he was still there at the front lines, he would most likely be killed”. Then he joked “If so, there would not be you on the world”. This also means if so, there would not be me on the world either.

My grandfather saved countless lives, but he always regretted not being able to save his companions from his hometown. My grandfather missed his lost companions very much and he often tried to find their families to help them out. For those he could find, he petitioned the local governments to give them some sort of compensation, in addition to personally giving gifts of condolences. Because of my grandfather, many families received benefits and treatments from the government that they otherwise would not have received. Sadly, many of his fallen friends did not leave their family names and/or addresses or were undocumented and unidentified. Grandpa often said “I am very thankful and lucky to be alive today. I am content.” My grandfather was always so cheerful, so very optimistic.

。。。。。。

My grandfather passed away in 2010 and I still miss his hearty laughter and kind smile. Although he is no longer with us and I am not able to hear him tell his own story anymore, I am able to pass down those stories in his stead.

Today, on our planet, there are still many places raging with war. Every day, there are innocent people dying. I fully believe that after remembering the painful lessons of mankind’s countless wars, societies have been moved to unite in order to promote peace, democracy, freedom, equality, justice, and fraternity, so that now the ideals have become universally accepted. "Peace and development" is becoming common in most countries. As we now remember the 70th anniversary of the end of the largest war the world has ever seen and pay our respects to the memories of those who sacrificed in that struggle, we are reminded that we must cherish the lives that we live and cherish human life and dignity. If my grandfather were here today, I know that he would say to me that creating lasting peace in the world is among the greatest responsibilities that we have as human beings, and I should do everything possible to live my life compassionately, respectfully, and responsibly.■

本文编辑制作：HL

弘扬新四军抗战铁军精神！

铁军精神，永放光芒！