Vistors photograph an exhibition, titled National Memories, at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution on Tuesday. Photo: Li Hao/GT

To Lu Caiwen, an 89-year-old veteran from Tengchong, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, the past several months have not been easy. He lost his wife of 60 years and fell ill soon after.

"It was a tough time for me, but I'm all right now. Other than that, all has been good, especially when I read about the exhibition about our Chinese Expeditionary Force in Beijing," Lu said. His smile could be felt through the telephone line.

Lu said it was the first time he and his war buddies were ever acknowledged at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing, which has highlighted the contributions made by veterans like him during World War II.

Lu would even be more grateful if he could see the exhibition first-hand. Even on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, the exhibition, titled National Memories: Images that narrate China-US Collaboration during World War II, saw dozens of visitors wandering among some 400 photos on loan from the National Archives of the United States.

Among the photos documenting the cruel battles and heartwarming stories of soldiers and civilians in the China-Burma-India Theater, a wall listing 1,216 names and addresses was drawing much attention.

"All those listed are Chinese and American veterans who once fought in the CBI Theater. You can write any well wishes you have on a postcard and we will deliver it for you," instructed exhibit volunteers. 

Many people feel that such campaigns are racing against time, as WWII veterans worldwide pass away into history. Meanwhile, campaigners press the government to establish a veteran assistance system as well as a more objective attitude towards their history and lives.

Regained honor

Huang Wenfeng, deputy secretary general of The Special Fund for Taking Care of WWII Veterans, which co-organized the event, called the exhibition a "rare step of progress" in recognizing Kuomintang (KMT) soldiers that fought in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).

In 1942, China sent 100,000 expeditionary soldiers to Myanmar to fight the Japanese, most of who were KMT soldiers. Over the following three years, China sent 300,000 troops to Myanmar, killing more than 60,000 Japanese soldiers. During the war, nearly half of all Chinese soldiers were killed or injured.

Statistics show that around 3.8 million KMT soldiers were killed in more than 39,000 battles in the war against Japanese aggression. Current history textbooks include battles led by the KMT and state, "The KMT's role was irreplaceable."

"We are grateful to see the improvement of our political status. Many efforts have been made in recent years, especially since last year," Lu said, referring to an announcement by the Ministry of Civil Affairs declaring KMT veterans eligible to receive social welfare benefits in July, 2013.

Several KMT veterans have been invited to this year's official State ceremonies to commemorate the war.

Beijing announced a list of 300 martyrs and heroes Monday who sacrificed their lives during the Japanese invasion. The list was the first official catalogue honoring KMT soldiers.

The cremated remains of 635 soldiers of the Chinese Expeditionary Force who died while fighting the Japanese army in Myanmar were reburied in Tengchong's  "Elergy of the Nation Cemetery" in June, after the remains were exhumed and moved from Namhkam and Bhamo, Myanmar.

Political play?

While Lu felt grateful for all the activities honoring the contributions of KMT soldiers, veteran-rights campaigners have observed deeper motives behind the gesture.

Huang noted that the exhibition provided an opportunity to recall the friendship of the China-US alliance during WWII and a reminder of Japan's retrospect into history.

"To put it in an improper way, such caring activities for veterans might not be available if the Japanese hadn't recorded history in a twisted way," said Sun Chunlong, founder of the Shenzhen Longyue Foundation, which traces Chinese WWII veterans, primarily KMT members.

"The authorities should one day make the value of individual lives a top priority rather than geopolitics. Undoubtedly, this is a good start to look at history in an objective way. We should forget the hostility between different political parties," Sun said.

Unified army

While it is widely acknowledged that the Chinese Expeditionary Force who fought in the CBI Theater was mainly comprised of KMT veterans, the term "KMT" did not appear written on any labels or captions at the exhibition despite KMT flags appearing in many of the photos.

Volunteers, who wore KMT flag badges, said that the exhibition wanted to downplay party differences.

"Such a war goes way beyond parties or ideologies. We only wanted to present the audience with a true history and help people remember the war as a whole and not under the names of different political parties," said an executive at the Yuezhong Museum of Historical Image, a co-organizer of the exhibition.

"It is inappropriate to differentiate KMT veterans from those fighting with the Communist Party of China," noted Jia Yuanliang, head of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression Culture Foundation. "However, such differences have existed for decades and have turned KMT veterans into a marginalized group."

Many KMT veterans were ill-treated during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) and discrimination against them did not dissolve until China's "reform and opening-up," Jia noted.

Huang added that many veterans dared not talk about their service with their families, making them harder to approach by veteran-rights campaigners. "We have found some 3,000 veterans over the past decade. They are 94 years old on average, with the oldest now 106 years old."

To win the battle against time, a charity program that seeks out war veterans, mainly those who fought against the Japanese invasion from 1937 to 1945, was launched Tuesday by Shenzhen Longyue Foundation, Bosera Asset Management Co., Ltd and Qihoo 360 Technology Co.

Sun, who runs the organization, has received numerous calls about vets still in need. He feels the changing attitude towards KMT veterans among the public has brought many to come forward, indicating that even more veterans will soon be identified.

"An honorary medal would be much more valuable than financial support. It is a proof of the nation's recognition of our contributions and it is something we can pass on to our future generations," Lu said.