s3562

Sequence number:s3562

Date of letter:1992-06-02
Address of author:Yinchuan City, Ningxia Autonomous Region
Date of event:1937
Location of event:Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province
Name of author:Zhang Mingde
Name(s) of victim(s):Zhang Jilu (father of Zhang Mingde) and Zhang Mingde’s uncle
Type of atrocity:Nanking Massacre, Murders (NM, MU)
Other details:My father was killed in the Nanjing Massacre, my two uncles also died in the explosion of Japanese bombs, the Japanese invaders forced my whole family to become homeless and beg on the street. I bitterly hate Japanese Imperialism, I demand the Japanese government to give compensation to my family. Note: The envelope is missing

Reporter Li Peiyu of “China Business Journal”:

After reading the “Private Compensation Tide” and “An Account of Chinese Nationals Seeking Damage Compensation from Japan” published on Page 3 of the “China Business Journal” on May 19, 1992, I was thrown into a tidal surge of emotions, and could hardly find peace of mind till today. I am a descendant of the victims of the invasion war waged by Japanese Imperialism. My ancestral home is at Hechang Village, Chalu Town, Jiangning County, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, and my ancestors were all farmers in the local area. My mother told me I was born here in 1936. When I was a little over one year old, the Japanese Imperialism savagely invaded China, and carried out barbarian Nanjing Massacre in Nanjing. My father Zhang Jilu was killed in this Massacre when he was only 27, and later my two uncles were also killed in bombing by Japanese aircrafts, leaving only my grandparents, my aunt, my mother and myself in the family. In the aftermath of this tragic incident, my grandfather Zhang Chuhai lost three sons, my young mother lost her husband, and I lost my father when I was only a little over one year old, which forced my family to lose livelihood. Since I was young, my mother tasted untold hardship in begging while holding me on her back. Since I was still young, and my mother was a woman, we were humiliated everywhere. Even if we received one meal, we did not know where the next one would come. Until we arrived at today’s Mengjiachang, Tangshan Fentou, Jiangning County, Jiangsu Province, it seemed we were at the end of our destination. My mother took me and married Sheng Yuangao, a local temple watcher, and since then we had a place to call home. It was not until August 1945 when the Japanese Imperialism surrendered that my grandfather found my mother and me.

Reminiscing the past is heart-breaking experience, I bitterly hate the Japanese Imperialism, now I ● [The above ● are illegible due to damage of manuscript!], what it is. I demand Japan to give compensation to victims.

I request Reporter Li to tell Comrade Tong Zeng who initiated the name-signing of “Demanding Damage Compensation from Japan” to sign names for our whole family.

Postal code　750042, my phone number 77230.77014.