Date of letter:1992-11-26
Address of author:Zoucheng City, Shandong Province
Date of event:1938
Location of event:Dangshan County, Suzhou City, Anhui Province
Name of author:Tang Gongbo
Name(s) of victim(s):Tang Shutang (Tang Hongbo’s grandfather), Tang Qingzhang (Tang Hongbo’s uncle) and others
Type of atrocity:Air Bombings, Other Massacres（AB, OM）
Other details:One day in 1938 the Japanese bombed my hometown, we Tang clan totaling over 100 persons met Japanese invaders on our way of escape, and were massacred cruelly. My grandfather, uncle and grandmother all died under the knife of the Japanese invaders. I demand Japan to give compensation, we request instructions from Mr. Tong.
Respected Mr. Tong Zeng:
Hello!
First, I want to express my highest respect to you. In order to uphold justice for Chinese compatriots brutally killed and persecuted by the Japanese invaders, you personally delivered a speech to the National People’s Congress, wrote letters to the Japanese Prime Minister, traveled far and wide to drum up support, collected signatures of more than 10000 persons, and set off a wave of “claims” by the common people. We family members of the victims who were slaughtered by the Japanese invaders are deeply moved. If the victims can hear this in their afterlife, they would surely thank you from the bottom of their hearts.
I am Tang Hongbo, native of Dongtangzhai Village, Dangshan County, Anhui, currently a retired worker of Shandong Yanzhou Coal Mine. Today I came to Shanghai to seek medical treatments and read the article “History Has Not Forgotten” – An Account of Chinese Civilians Demanding Damage Compensation from Japan (Page 46-48, Issue 10, 1992) published in the Readers’ Digest. I was very excited and, for a long time, I was unable to suppress my agitation. Today, I want to report to you the massacre of 48 persons and the wounding of numerous people in my family by the Japanese invaders 54 years ago.
One day in May, 1938, the aircrafts of the Japanese invaders bombed wantonly in my hometown. We Tang clan and relatives totaling over 100 persons collectively fled under the leadership of my grandfather Tang Shutang. When we reached Yuebuzhuang, northeast of the village, we met, very unfortunately, a large force of Japanese army. The Japanese unexpectedly launched a barbaric massacre of my clan and relatives. Grandfather Tang Shutang, Granduncle Tang Shuye, Grandaunt Ms. Tang, nee Tang, Paternal Elder Uncle Tang Qingzhang, Paternal Younger Uncles Tang Qingpu, Tang Qingzhen and Tang Qingrui, Aunts Tang Qinglan and Tang Qingfang, Aunt Ms. Tang, nee Zhou, cousin Lu Xinmei and my six-day old younger brother were all killed by the blades of the savage Japanese.
Those meeting the tragic end at the time also included clan elder bother Tang Picheng, clan nephew Tang Shilong, and a number of relatives, totaling 48 persons. Numerous others were wounded. This massacre shocked the then eight counties of Xuzhou (Feng, Pei, Xiao, Dang, Tong, Hui, Pi, Su) and was recorded in Dangshan County Annals, and can be verified.
Today I specially write this letter to you. If you send me a reply, as the next step, I will give you a detailed list of those who were killed and the current status of the victims’ family members. I especially would like to receive your instructions on how to proceed with the petition formality. I will be forever grateful to you if you will give me a reply.
Regards
Sincerely yours
Victims’ family member
Tang Hongbo
Shandong Zoucheng City Yanzhou Coal Mine Bureau Retired Workers’ Sanatorium
(Postal code 273500)
1992.11.26
Victim’s family member
Tang Lanzhen
Room 302, No. 14, Lane 1037 North Chengdu Road, Shanghai
(Postal code 200041)
