"Chizi Meritorious Service" - A 9-meter high monument stands quietly on the west mountain of Kunming, Yunnan, with these four characters engraved on the base. This monument is the "Nanyang Overseas Chinese Machinists' Anti Japanese Monument" to commemorate those overseas Chinese who fought for their motherland during the Anti Japanese War.
"When I returned to Yunnan from Nanyang, I was ready to sacrifice, and I didn't want to go back alive." Luo Kaihu, now 101 years old, is the only surviving overseas Chinese pilot in Yunnan. In July 1939, Luo Kaihu, only 21 years old, returned home by boat with more than 300 young people from the eighth batch of Nanqiao Mechanic Service Group. After a brief military training, he quickly entered the battle.
The 1146 km long Yunnan Myanmar Highway is the main battlefield for Luo Kaihu, a group of overseas Chinese pilots. At that time, Luo Kaihu's task was to transport the military supplies of Lashio to Wanding with his comrades in arms. There are high mountains along the Yunnan Myanmar Highway. If you walk on the narrow paths on the cliffs, you will fall into the abyss.
In addition to the difficulty of driving, the overseas Chinese pilots also face malaria. Many machinists suffer from this malignant disease and are killed in transportation. The enemy's bombing is even more common. Once the car is hit, it is almost difficult to survive. "There are always comrades in arms who died under the enemy's fire," Luo Kaihu recalled.
Under the siege of guns, bullets, poisonous insects and beasts, the Nanqiao machinists traveled day and night, wind and rain, rushed to transport military supplies and soldiers, assembled and repaired vehicles, and ensured the smoothness of the lifeline of the Anti Japanese War.
Luo Kaihu, Liao Guoxiong, Chen Mengqiu... On the famous wall of the Nanqiao Mechanic Community in Daguan Street, Kunming City, 3192 names are engraved on the workers. Behind each name, there is a story of a Nanqiao Mechanic who sacrificed his life to serve his family and country. (Reporter Li Maoying)
