that turned out to be beneficial throughout his life.
4
Soon after he was admitted to the NTNU graduate school, his U.S. visa application went through. That was truly his lucky year. Two good friends of his, who were used to having better college grades than him, were surpassed by Hwa-Wei, ranking sixth and seventh, respectively, in the entrance written exam for graduate school. The two friends, although aggrieved, felt somehow thankful, as they were outscored by their friend and not by a stranger. They were disappointed, however, when Hwa-Wei took the quota and then gave it up to study abroad. His two poor friends had to wait another year to fulfill their graduate school dream. Constantly berated by his two best friends, Hwa-Wei had no other choice but to treat them with meals by way of apology.
Originally, Hwa-Wei’s desire to study abroad was not that strong, as he had already been admitted to the graduate school of NTNU, making him feel closer to his dream profession of being a high school principal. And he was not very interested in going to the United States, a foreign country on the other side of the world, far away from his home. Rather, it was his parents and aunt who kept pushing him to pursue an advanced degree in an American university. The other reason for his initial reluctance to leave Taiwan for the United States had to do with his family’s financial status. Hwa-Wei needed to raise enough money for his plane ticket and the required affidavit of financial support, things his father was unable to afford. He knew that the road ahead to study abroad would not be an easy one. Hwa-Wei actually hoped that his visa application would not be granted so that he could have a legitimate reason to stay in Taiwan.
During that time, a large percentage of Taiwanese students who came to the States were from science and engineering backgrounds. Those students were more likely to be funded by American universities and thus had a higher success rate for a visa application. In contrast, very few humanities and social sciences students ended up on this path, as they seldom were able to receive fellowships, and their families, in most cases, could not afford the high costs of studying abroad.
Hwa-Wei, with help from his aunt, Phyllis Hsiao-Chu Wang, luckily was offered a tuition waiver from the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. This eased his visa application. After asking a few simple questions in English, the immigration officer, blinking his blue eyes, said to Hwa-Wei in an exaggeratedly slow speed, “You are welcome to America.”
It was just Hwa-Wei’s luck that a better and brighter future had come to him. But to achieve that better and brighter future, he would have to work harder and face tougher challenges.
It was time for Hwa-Wei to say goodbye to the dean of the graduate school saying, “Sorry, sir—I did not expect that I could pass the English test for foreign studies. This is quite an opportunity for me. Please allow me to withdraw from the school.”
Hwa-Wei promised the dean that he would study hard in the United States and come back to serve the university with a finished doctorate. The dean was very pleased, thinking that Hwa-Wei would soon be the first international student in the U.S. from his class. He simply wished him the best.
Hwa-Wei’s professors and friends at NTNU were all happy for him. But for Hwa-Wei, going to the U.S. for graduate school created not just financial stress but also psychological pressure. He could feel the sincere expectations and hopes of his professors and friends at NTNU. How would he ever “have face” to return to Taiwan if his studying-abroad endeavor failed? With this concern in mind, Hwa-Wei made up his mind to strive forward!
Subsidized by the government, Hwa-Wei had received four years of free college education at NTNU. But the government subsidy was conditional and required a beneficiary student to serve in the education field for at least five years after college graduation—before receiving his diploma.
Hwa-Wei felt guilty about his lack of service length, knowing that he had worked for only two years. Eventually, NTNU made an exception in his case and mailed his diploma to him. Attached with the diploma was a note stating that the original requirement for educational service in Taiwan had been waived because of his continued service record in the American higher education system and the graduate degree in education that he had received from the University of Pittsburgh.
Hwa-Wei’s service in the field of education has far exceeded his original commitment to NTNU. However, Hwa-Wei feels grateful for his college’s magnanimity and flexibility in ultimately awarding him a bachelor’s degree in education. He is also thankful to NTNU for his four years of rewarding experience, the impact of which on his life has proven more immeasurable than the diploma itself.
CHAPTER 4
Min Unafraid to Die
Please look at me in my eyes and honestly tell me
—is there a true victor in war?
—Ying-Tai Lung, Big River, Big Sea—Untold Stories of 1949
1
HIS WARTIME experiences during his childhood and adolescent years, especially during the Sino-Japanese War, have had a huge impact on Hwa-Wei. The city of Guilin is well known for its incredibly beautiful limestone mountains and rock formations in various shapes and sizes all along the Li River. There are many natural caves, large and small. Because of its geographical and strategic importance, Guilin was a target for Japanese bombers when Hwa-Wei and his parents and siblings lived there. They had to go with other civilians to one of the nearby mountain caves. Every time the air raid siren blared, frantic and frightened civilians dashed into caves. This kind of helpless response even got a humorous nickname, “Pao Jingbao,” which literally means siren-running. Because China had only a weak air force at the time, Japan had absolute air supremacy, and Japanese aircraft were free to come and go, just like frenzied devils. They usually flew so low that the pilots’ faces could be spotted.
After “siren-running,” Hwa-Wei and his family often had to pass by dead bodies to go back home. One time, his mother—holding Hwa-Wei’s hand—unwarily stepped on a corpse right after they walked out of a cave. Hwa-Wei was instantly frightened. A bolt of fear went through his body; he felt as if he were hit with an electric shock. That tragic death scene left a deep impression on young Hwa-Wei.
To flee from Japanese air bombings, civilians often left home at dawn for cave shelters in a nearby area carrying precooked or dried food. Outside the crowded caves, loud booms could be heard from time to time, sounds of constant explosions overhead. The caves and surrounding land trembled every time the booms sounded. Mixed with the explosions were continual whining and an ear-piercing siren.
Time passed slowly. Fear and despair seemed to be more torturous than death. Refugees dared not go back to their homes until dark. Often there would be no home left when they returned. The Japanese invaders seemingly did not want to skip a single decent house; they never neglected throwing a firebomb to burn one down. A nice street in the morning could be damaged beyond recognition by evening. Houses were burned to ruins, leaving broken structures and walls covered in smoke. On roadsides shabbily dressed refugees stood, wailing for their loss. The tragic scenes would make passersby sob. The war, blamed for so much tragic loss of lives and property, was tremendously painful, fearful, and hateful to the Chinese.
Like most Chinese youth at that time, Hwa-Wei’s older brother, Hwa-Hsin Lee, had made up his mind to join the Chinese air force to fight against the Japanese. In early 1940, the American Volunteer Group (AVG), formed and headed by General Claire L. Chennault under the endorsement of President Roosevelt and the U.S. government, came to China to help in combating the Japanese aggressor. Better known as the Flying Tigers, AVG originally was comprised of some one hundred young pilots and over three hundred mechanics and nonmilitary professionals. The headquarters of the Flying Tigers was located in Kunming of Yunnan Province, and their training base was set up in Burma. This Sino-U.S. Joint Air Force entered the Sino-Japanese war in early 1941.1
Having fought side by side with the Chinese Nationalist Air Force, the Flying Tigers shot down countless Japanese warplanes, helping the Chinese air force gain back air supremacy. The Chinese people who lived through the war have always been thankful to the Flying Tigers and its legendary military achievement.