二手徵求有驚喜
Chapter 12
▎Press-ganded into the Army on the Penghu Archipelago
On June 25, 1949, the Jiho, carrying us, the students from Shandong, got to the waters of the Penghu Islands.
After a four-day and three-night voyage, we eventually steamed into our destination, and woke up from a sort of dreamy state, gathering on the deck to orient ourselves.
Looking eastward, we saw that there were the first rays of the rising shooting like golen arrows, and looking downward, we saw the expanse of the sea, deep and glossy smooth, and looking southward, we saw Yuwendao, or the Fisherman Island, that was floating on the surface of the sea, and seemingly, a lot of monsters haunting that entire mysterious area. And a pitch-dark mass of the land retained so still there.
When it was gradually turning into broad daylight, we saw fishermen rowing their boats towards our ship. And after they got their boats just right below our vessel, we became aware that they were coming to do businesses with us. Their boats were loaded with cigarettes, wine, bananas, candies made of peanuts, and anchovies.
Because of our long journey on the roads, we had no money left in our pockets but only a few pieces of clothes and quilts. Common sense be told that in Taiwan, spring stays all year round. And keeping a piece of woolen blanket, and a few of unlined garments could be good enough. Therefore, though having carried them all the way down to the Penghu Islands, some of the students traded their quits, padded jackets and trousers for the fishermen’s few kilograms of bananas.
We waited aboard for an entire morning and almost half an afternoon, and not until 4 p.m. were we allowed to get off and go ashore.
We were firstly led to the Neian Elementary School stadium for an assembly, and then put up at a barracks left by the Japanese army.
After settling down, we hurriedly got out and walked around. As far as the eye could reach, there was nothing else but the stretches of gravel land, bleak and barren. There were neither crops visible nor a lofty tree seen. The only thing that lit up our eyes was the towering lighthouse, thick and solid, in Waian village.
In the first few days, the “receptionists” in plain clothes maintained a lukeworm relationship with us, and then, we found out that there were progressive changes in their attitudes. Even though they treated us courteously, we found there was something uncompromising. At last, they took off their face coverings, indicating that when an order was once out, it had to be executed. And they expressed themselves suggestively through frowning and winking that they would be our superiors. We had been destined for being soldiers, and coercing us into the army was unavoidable.
Before they placed us in the units, they had us go through a screening process.
They made an announcement that those who were seventeen years of age came forward and lined up on the left; those who were not, on the right. (In China as well as in Taiwan, there are two ways of reckoning a person’s age. One is called “Western age” starting the counting from the day one is born, while the other is called “Chinese age” from the day mother gets pregnant.) Because I was sixeen years old based on the Western way of reckoning, I was in a state of being on the moon walking to the right. But as I walked to the spot ready to move into the line, a robust guy quickly ran to me yelling at me angrily: “You can’t go in there! You can’t go in there!” and pulling me back. I was off balance, staggering. In the meantime, he grabbed my arms and marched me to the left-hand side line. In this way, I was forcibly placed into the army. In a few days, I was transferred from Waian to a unit called “The Third Brigade affiliated to the Youth League” stationed at Bamboo Pole Bay.
Several days later, I heard about the news that the Penghu Islands Defense Command HQ summoned students to a stadium on the biggest island of Magong, and the process of placing students into the army was more violent and cruel than I had gone through.
Commander, Li Zhenqing and Commander of the 39th Division, Han Fengyi, had the students corralled in the stadium of the Penghu Islands Defense Command, and deployed the security forces around the stadium with the machine guns mounted. Standing on the reviewing stand, Han announced to the students with a deadpan face: “Welcome all of you to Penghu. However, our country is facing the crisis of life and death. I think that fighting for the survival of our country is much more important than receiving education.” And he added: “Today is your best opportunity to serve your country. Because serving in the Nationalists Army as a soldier is a glorious calling, I don’t think you’ll refuse this opportunity.”Shortly after his speech, complaints were heard, and there was a few of students shouting protests loudly from the rows: “We don’t want to be soldiers! We want to study! We don’t want to be soldiers! We want to study!”
But the cadres implementing what General Han had announced lined the students up in the order of decreasing height. And they walked back and forth between the rows using a rope to measure them based on the length of type 38 rifle. Any one who equalled the rifle in height, and anyone who looked healthy should be placed in the army despite one’s age, 13-year-old or 14-year-old. In another word, only stature and healthiness counted.
The consequences of forcibly implementing the announcement to place the students into the army provoked more violent protests. However, in order to warn the students, soldiers began purposely shooting blank shots, and two students were bayoneted and got seriously wounded. And there were also some students whose buttocks and legs got hit by stray bullets. At this juncture, there was a great commotion going on, and the students were crying and claiming that: “we are not against military training, but we also want to keep our secondary school education going on as promised!”But they just ignored what the students’ outcry. Before many teachers’ and principals’ wide-opened eyes, they insisted on having students take off their clothing and put on military uniforms.
This event is called the 713 Incident because it happened on July 13, 1949.
Bamboo Pole Bay is situated on the western coastal area of the Fishman Island. And the landforms of this area diversified by hills and vallies are criss-crossed. On the coast, scattered here and there are steep cliffs and strange coral grottoes. And the huge surf crashes into these grottoes echoing resoundingly the same tone today as well as in the distant past. Most of people’s houses on this island are built on the gravel land with the coral fragments around them as fences or walls.
Overall, though the Fisherman Island is sparsely populated, it is an important military strategic point. It is also a good place for the field training program.
We were here firstly for military basics. After that, we had the field training program. Though we could stand physical abuses, yet mental abuses were the most unbearable of all.
Most of cadres, platoon and squad leaders, were illiterate, knowing few of Chinese characters. They not only spoke rudely but also acted tyrannically. Worse, they didn’t have know-how and how-to to lead these student soldiers and thus, caused the interaction to deteriorate. We superficially obeyed them, but in the deep recesses of our minds and bottoms of our hearts, we defied them. However, how could the attitudes of this kind be concealed long and not to be detected by their mind’s eyes? They began training us by using abusive language and corporal punishments. While dealing out blows to us, they insulted us by using the vulgar expressions: “What a country bumpkin you are!” Or they simply condemned us: “You are unhappy with this treatment, aren’t you? When you are unhappy, you’ll get beaten up, while I am unhappy, I’ll beat you up!”
The Headquarters of “The Youth League” was located at a village called Xiaochejiao, or Little Pond Cornor. It took about forty minutes to get there by marching. And the “regular rally” was held every Monday and we had to get there to listen to a pep talk by our “regimental” Commander, Han Bin. And occasionally, there was an officer from the political warfare department coming to give us a talk analyzing the international situation.
When Commander Li Zhenqing came to inspect the Fisherman Island, we had to go to Xiaochejiao to listen to his harangue. Originally, he was in General Pang Bingxun’s poorly-trained army. By chance, he was promoted quickly from the rank of adjutant officer through assistant brigade commander, brigade commander, assistant division commander, commander of the 39th division, deputy army commander, to the highest position, commander of the 40th army. Luckily, in the Anti-Japanese war, he had scored one or two victories. At last, in Anyang County, Henan Province, he was captured by the Reds, and later, set free. By then, he collected some of the officers and soldiers who had suffered defeats, and retreated to Taiwan. Because of his loyalty to the National Government, he was recognized by Chen Cheng, the executive chief of the Military and Administrative Headquarters for Southeastern Region (referring to Taiwan) who gave him the second chance and appointed him the Commander of Penghu Islands Defense Command.
As Li has received limited education, he often makes a fool of himself. His cliché on his lips is: “An egg equals ten peanuts in nutrition!” Therefore, he asked us to take more peanuts. Furthermore, he asked us not to smoke. Because of his little education received, what he had said showed nothing but trite expressions or numerous monotonous repetitions. In a speech he wanted to deliver, it always consists of “this is…” for example: “This is so.” or “This is not so.”
Amidst the student soldiers, there was a plenty of funny stories about him going around.
There was one derived from his talk like this: once, after giving a talk to the gathering, he was extremely excited, and tried to lead them to shout slogans. The first few slogans he shouted went well. However, the last one he shouted was originally composed of six Chinese characters such as: “Guo fu jing shen bu si!” (Our national Father’s spirit is immortal!) But he shouted the slogan as follows:
“Guo fu bu si!” (Our national Father is immortal!) When it was shouted out, it caused the student soldiers dumbstruck.
He, of course, immediately was aware that he had left two characters out, and redressed it: “He still has jing shen (spirit)!”
He looked like an honest man. And President Chiang Kai-shek is very fond of this type of general, staunchly loyal. Once he made an inspection tour to the Penghu Islands, General Li intended to make good use of this opportunity to please Chiang by pledging his allegiance to him to the utmost. When asked such a question: “What do you think of the present situation in Taiwan, General Li?” He replied:
“Mr. President, I don’t have any idea. All I have had is that I am a draught animal of yours. I will go to wherever as I am told by you.”
I cannot remember how much money is fixed for food per head everyday. Overall, they fed the worst kind of rice and the worst dish to us.
There were 10-plus buddies in a squad. All of us squatted down in the open and surrounded an iron basin full of salty soup made from pumpkin, and a few drops of cooking oil and a few slices of white-colored pig fat were floating on the surface. The rice was not only unhusked but also mixed with grains of sand. Once in our mouths, and while chewing, we heard the sounding of ga ba, ga ba. And as I feared that there wasn’t enough food, I had learned the skill of da chong fento, or lead the charge, not to the enemy but to the rice: “At first, I just get a half bowl full and after wolfing down the half bowl of rice, I quickly run back to get a bowl full!”
By then, I was very short, the second last guy in my squad when lined up, and ranked private, accordingly, getting the private solider’s pay around 7.50 yuan per month, based on the Old Taiwanese Monetary System. By then, I was always craving for something edible to satisfy the insatiable appetite of mine and once a tea-colored envelope with cash money sealed in was handed over to me, I hurriedly ran to a small low-lying grocery store to get a few pieces of candies made of peanuts to eat.
The news that they had launched a “mole hunt” campaign spread out. And as we were lying on the bed in the night, we always felt that our whole camp was haunted. The following morning when we rose, we discovered that one or two of our fellow students had vanished from the earth. Having made an inquiry, we got nothing else but the same answer: “They have been transferred to another unit.” “They would rather mistakenly kill one hundred innocent people than let one mole get away.” This was the warning we had often heard in those days.
The news of principals Zhang Minzhi and Zou Jiang who had been arrested was spreading by word of mouth to us off and on. Zhang headed the Yangtai United Secondary School; Zou, the second branch of that school.
They were the ones who strongly opposed this shabby deal to have students illegally drafted into the army, and fought against vehemently that some of the younger ones were “ruined” this way. They sent out plenty of letters to seek assistances from everywhere. Furthermore, they invited the director of the Department of Education of Shandong Province, Xu Yiqian. to come down and get those 16 years olds and younger ones out of the army. These measures infuriated General Han, Commander of the 39th Division. On the hand, he blindly accused them of “violating the martial law of army buildups” and on the other, labelled them as “communist agents,” intending to get them executed.
Zhang was falsely accused of being “the member of Executive Committee of the Communist Party in the eastern Jiaochow region,” and Zou, “the member of the Yangtai City Communist Party and the director of the New Democratic Youth League of the City.”
Allegations are easily made, but evidence is hard to get.
Han Fengyi is a crafty man aiming to keep his post as Division Commander trying very hard to avoid the embarrassing situation that cadres outnumber soldiers. Thus, he urged his henchman, Li Fusheng, to use every means to fraudulently get false confessions from the students. If not obeyed, they would be severely punished by sleep deprivation, hanging by the wrists and whipped, getting shocks from electrical generators, waterboarding, and rolling on the piles of dead and dried corals. Amidst these victims, one of the survivors named Liu Tinggong wrote one short piece of doggerel which could be exemplified to show the very true picture he had gone through. It reads:
“They stood me up there against the wall
My hands were tied up behind and weighted down with stone
Stone jabbed me till my ribs were bleeding
And my legs were flogged by the rifle butt with the bayonet on
Falling into unconsciousness due to numbness and cramping
With bleary eyes, I entered the world of Hade
A can of icy water was poured over my head
Having woken up, I discovered I became a prisoner with blackened legs.”
Those who had been transferred here were under the threat of these cruel tortures, and as a result, whatever the false confessions they wanted could be gotten. In another word, they could get whatever they wished. In addition, to legalize these “confessions,” they asked these teenagers who didn’t have knowledge of law to sign or affix their thumb-prints on the false confessions.
Once these false confessions were available as the evidence, the Taipei Security Headquarters got the two principals, at 10 a.m., Sunday, on December 11, 1949, executed at the spot called Machangting, or horse stable When executed, there were five students who were, under the mask of the Communist agents, shot to death, too. (Originally, there were six students, but one, whose name was Wang Ziyi, got sick and died in the jail before the doomday) Among them, the youngest one was only nineteen years old.
Though these two principals and five students died of fake accusations, at least, they had been through a form of the kangaroo court during the period of so-called “the White Terror.” One of the cruelest methods to commit the atrocity was that more than ten suspected students, “the Communist Agents,” were arrested, shipped to the outer sea by a fishing boat, dumped into the jute sacks tied to a piece of rock, and thrown overboard, letting them go down to the bottom of the sea and drown there. They gave this “Death Penalty” a name: “Casting Anchor.”The rest of about fifty students of this kind were put into a program called: “The Newborn Camp.” And they were under severe surveillance.
Though some of these unlucky students died with the principals, others died of drowning, and still others were detained for reform, yet those who had been gangpreesed into the army were not much better treated than those detainees. The tricks they tortured us were getting crueler and crueler. Included are: letting us learn the way of the turtle’s crawling on the concrete floor; putting the hands atop our heads, squatting on our hunkers and doing the jumping as the frogs are doing, and under the scorching sun, getting us run laps around the stadium, 5,000 meters with backpacks on our backs and rifles in our hands.
When the session of military basics was on, the key points of “attention!” should be accurately executed. They are: keeping our heads erect and facing straight to the front, holding the bodies erect and shoulders back, arching our chests and lowering our chins. Even if we thought that we had these key points correctly done in terms of a good example of “attention!”, we had to go through the unexpected tests inflicted on us. That means they would give us kicks upon the back parts of our legs, upper or lower, from behind. And if we could withstand the kicks without bending our knees, there was nothing for them to condemn of, otherwise they tongue-lashed us sarcastically: “What a country bumpkin you are! What a country bumpkin you are!” And under the cloak of training us to be absolutely obedient soldiers, they, in fact, revenged the contempt shown to them.
To me, the bitterest thing was the situation that I didn’t have the availability of “that half a day’s education promised.” I couldn’t learn new things, and further, what I had learnd that little bit of stuff in the past would fade away. Whenever I thought of this, tears coursed down along my cheeks.
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