WWII memories: The spirit that transcends borders

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945) and the World Anti-Fascist War – a period that left deep scars across many nations and yet also revealed extraordinary acts of courage and compassion.

Even today, many stories from that time are still being told, such as those of John Rabe, Norman Bethune and Edgar Snow, who all stood with China during its darkest hours. Yet there were many more who also risked their lives to defend humanity and peace.

Here, we recount the lives of three such heroes, whose stories remind us that the spirit of humanity knows no borders.

Minnie Vautrin: A guardian in Nanjing

 On the campus of Nanjing Normal University stands a bronze statue of Minnie Vautrin, an American missionary remembered for protecting nearly 10,000 women and children during the darkest days in the city's history – the Nanjing Massacre.

In 1937, Japanese troops launched a full-scale invasion of China. The then capital, Nanjing, fell on December 13. Over the following six weeks, the city descended into horror as Japanese forces rampaged through the streets – looting, killing, raping and committing mass atrocities.

By that time, Vautrin had already lived in China for 25 years. She was serving as the acting president of Ginling College, which later became part of today's Nanjing Normal University.

Before the city fell, foreign embassies urged all foreigners to evacuate. But Vautrin refused.

"This is my mission; just as men should not abandon their ships in danger, nor should women abandon their children!" she wrote in her diary.

Instead, she transformed the campus into a sanctuary. As terrified civilians poured in, the college sheltered as many as 10,000 women and children at the height of the crisis. Day after day, Vautrin stood guard at the gates, confronting Japanese soldiers who tried to break in to arrest, loot, and assault the women.

In her diary, she recorded the horrors she witnessed. These entries later became vital evidence documenting the atrocities of the Nanjing Massacre.

But years of relentless trauma took a heavy toll. In 1940, Vautrin suffered a nervous breakdown and returned to the United States for treatment. The next year, she ended her life at the age of 55.

Today, her statue stands not only as a memorial, but as a reminder to younger generations. Each year, students of Nanjing Normal University lay flowers in gratitude to a woman whose courage and compassion remain part of the city's memory.

Gregori Kulishenko: Flying for humanity

  Local resident Wei Yingxiang sweeps the grave of Gregori Kulishenko in Chongqing, southwest China. /VCG

In Chongqing’s Xishan Park, southwest China, lies the tomb of Gregori Kulishenko – one of more than 2,000 Soviet pilots who volunteered to aid China during the War of Resistance.

Born in Ukraine in 1903, Kulishenko rose to become captain of a Soviet air squadron that joined China's fight in 1939. As Japan intensified its bombing of southwest China, Kulishenko not only trained Chinese pilots with discipline, teaching them advanced techniques and strategies, but also fought alongside them, destroying dozens of enemy aircraft.

On October 14, after shooting down six Japanese planes, his aircraft was intercepted by enemy fighters. With one engine destroyed and his body seriously wounded, Kulishenko refused to parachute. Instead, he attempted a crash landing on the Yangtze River to avoid civilian casualties in the villages below.

Two of his crewmates survived, but Kulishenko was swallowed by the waters. He was only 36.

But his story was never forgotten. Since 1958, a local family has tended his tomb in Xishan Park. Tan Zhonghui, who witnessed Kulishenko’s crash in 1939, became his devoted grave keeper. After Tan’s retirement, her son Wei Yingxiang took up the duty, ensuring that the Soviet pilot’s sacrifice would always be remembered.

Qian Xiuling: A voice for the innocent

In the small Belgian city of Écaussinnes, a street bears the name of a remarkable woman from China: Qian Xiuling, who saved nearly 100 Belgians from Nazi persecution during World War II.

Born in Yixing, eastern China, Qian traveled to Belgium to study chemistry at the University of Leuven, eventually settling there after graduation.

In April 1943, when Belgium was under German occupation, a young man from the local resistance destroyed a railway used by the Nazis. He was arrested and sentenced to death.

Upon hearing the news, Qian appealed to the occupying commander, General Alexander von Falkenhausen, who was an old acquaintance of her cousin. She sent him a telegram pleading for mercy and even traveled to Brussels with a petition signed by the townspeople. In the end, the young man’s life was spared.

One year later, after three Gestapo officers were killed during a resistance operation in Écaussinnes, German forces arrested 100 civilians and threatened to execute them within 36 hours unless the perpetrators were caught.

Though pregnant at the time, Qian once again acted to save lives. She set out overnight and, upon arriving, braved checkpoints and armed guards before reaching Falkenhausen. At first, he was hesitant. But under Qian's persistence, he promised to intervene. That day, 19 of the most vulnerable detainees were released, and the rest were spared from mass execution.

In recognition of her courageous act, the Belgian government awarded her the Medal of Belgian Gratitude. To this day, some locals still remember a young Chinese woman whose courage saved lives during one of history's darkest chapters.

A call to humanity

As we mark this anniversary, we honor not only the soldiers who fought on the battlefields, but also countless individuals whose bravery and kindness helped save lives. They came from different countries, spoke different languages, and lived different lives. Yet in humanity’s darkest hours, they chose to protect others, even at the cost of their own safety.

The legacy of these heroes continues to inspire today. Their stories remind us of the enduring importance of peace, justice, and freedom, and call on us to work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Author: Cui Xingyu

Cui Xingyu, is a reporter with China Global Television Network (CGTN).

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