Son of China Marine Follows Father's Steps, Visits China 70 years Later
By Liming Guan/China Press (Translated with Google Translate)
Born and raised in Greenwich Connecticut, living in Hawaii for 20 years, Jeffrey Bingham Mead had always hoped one day to go to China to see where his father Herbert Mead 70 years ago as a U.S. Marine lived.
But he never expected that, when the dream comes true, it would be in such a dramatic way.
A year ago, this newspaper reported on Jeffrey's father during World War II and his experiences in China. Jeffrey always wanted to organize a recent Marine Corps veterans or their families plan to visit China.
Fortunately, two months ago, Jeffrey received an invitation from the Consulate General of China in New York and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and he went to Beijing to attend the 70th anniversary of World War II and the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's Anti-Japanese War Victory parade. He finally got a chance to look for the father had visited the place.
"I stood over his father 70 years ago to take pictures (Temple of Heaven) before whispering gallery, I could not help but excited, I face in front of all visitors to Hawaii folk singing a song!"
For Jeffrey, the surprise first trip to China from the moment he arrived at Kennedy Airport began. Just arrived in the airport, there will be staff of Air China came up to assist him in check. He was even more unexpected is that after boarding, originally Friendship Order for his good economy is upgrade into first class. He could not help but be excited in the cabin immediately pulled out a cell phone to call a number of relatives and friends, to tell them the good news.
14 hours later, the plane arrived in Beijing. As guests attended the parade, he came to the reception staff were arrangements Friendship rapid clearance. And so got into the front insert a small red flag limousine, Jeffrey feel like in a "007" movie. He said with a smile, "I did not think I could have the opportunity to experience a head of state treatment!"
And so came to stay No. 1 East Chang Grand Hyatt Beijing, World War II veterans to see the cafeteria from around the world, even before the Flying Tigers, the longest serving Congress (40 years) of the Republican Honourable Steven Mori (Ted Stevens) widow Catherine Stevenson, see everyone happily chat and enjoy a variety of Chinese and Western cuisine, "I think heaven is probably also the case!"
On the third day after arriving in Beijing, Jeffrey and many guests from various countries together to watch the grand parade, twice a day and have the opportunity to attend the Great Hall banquet. During Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the luncheon speech, Chairman Xi Jinping second occurrence during the dinner, and the guests watched the 70th anniversary of the victory of Anti-Japanese War theatrical performances. During World War II veterans who participated and their families on behalf of, was awarded the gold commemorative medal. Jeffrey also received the honor for his father one.
But the most emotional Jeffrey, after that visit Beijing time, the Temple of Heaven Park, he recognized his father had filmed according to the place - Whispering Gallery. "I remember my father saying he never expected this place to the sound travels so far. These places he had seen countless times in his father left to old photographs, and now finally have the opportunity to set foot on this land, the excitement and emotion sometimes unspeakable.
"I feel myself sitting in a time machine, back to 70 years ago, one by one searching for his father's footsteps, I believe he passed away, to see it all, must be smiling."
Also let Jeffrey memorable, is the Chinese people's friendly. : "I think the American media did not live up to their responsibilities, do not tell you the real China."
In the three days after the end of the parade, the Jeffrey by New York friends, Laurelton Branch Queens Library curator 王小良 introduction, get Beijing Sihai Confucius Academy founder Feng Zhe assistance and arrangements, have the opportunity to visit in Beijing Xishan Xiangshan universal Confucius College, where ancient Confucian tradition saw a distinctive educational tradition of college life, over a hundred students from all over China together, reciting Confucian classics, studying ancient dealing with people's behavior. The Beijing Xishan idyllic and every morning, "rooster" of life but also to Jeffrey feeling seems to be living in a "National Geographic" documentary.
Just a few days time, Jeffrey and CPAFFC reception people Pakistan Tracy, universal Confucius Academy and assistant dean Feng Zhe and other friends also forged a friendship puzzled. Their selfless assistance made him grateful. Jeffrey also hope that the future to organize more World War II veterans or their descendants to China to look for.
70 years ago, Jeffrey's father, Herbert Mead as a US Marine Corps soldiers at the front, and his comrades of the bloody end of a rare battle of Okinawa in Japan, was sent to China, he is responsible for receiving the surrender of Beijing and Tianjin Japanese and stabilize the situation in China. Jeffrey remembers his father years later still remembered in China has experienced two and a half, it was his "best time of life."
Jeffrey's father had had a wish, is the year for those who had been stationed in China Marines out of a book, let the world know their stories, so that they are no longer just a silent, black and white photographs on the presence in groups. His father, Herbert, died five years ago, at the age of 86 years old. After the war he spent most of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (Bristol-Myers
Squibb) is located in Connecticut and New Jersey subsidiaries through.
Jeffrey also kept his father left behind some old photographs in China. He remembers his father to one of the photographs is feeling -
It was a street in Tianjin, a Chinese young man sitting in the carriage wedding photos, a US soldier standing next to greet them. "Of all the haze was caused by the war, and this young man is still full of life, longing and hope, decided to hold the wedding for their own future, it is hard to forget the scene."
Herbert Mead also to visit around Beijing, in front of the Forbidden City and other sites to take pictures. "My father there's a whispering gallery (within Tiantan Park) is very interested in, he felt that something really weird, how sound can be transferred so far?"
Jeffrey said that in addition to China's memories, father had rarely mention his family suffered during the war in Japan. Only in the last years of life, he mentioned at the beginning of the year on the battlefield experience fear. "It was the nearest place from hell."
Hometown newspaper, "Greenwich Times" (Greenwich
Time) on October 23, 1945 published Herbert Mead's letter home. The letter said: "I'm glad when I was in Okinawa when the war you do not know what I'm doing ... I'm starting from April 8, at the front end of the fighting has been to stay (June 22) a head. May we and different Army units work together. God, my life has never been so fear ... in front of our people, fifty percent of the people will eventually sacrifice or injured, I several times hanging by a thread, So I think I can survive purely a fluke. "
US forces lost the Battle of Okinawa in 2500, more than 10,000 soldiers, while tens of thousands of people were injured. Japanese death more than 11 million people. Battle of Okinawa cruel to make decision makers aware of Japanese military landing operations may have to pay a heavy price, which is one of the reasons later prompted the US decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan.
海军陆战队员之子
70年后首访中国
【侨报记者管黎明纽约报道】在康州格林尼治出生长大、在夏威夷生活了20年的杰弗里·米德（Jeffrey Bingham Mead）一直希望有朝一日能去中国，看看父亲赫伯特·米德（Herbert Bingham Mead）70年前作为海军陆战队员曾经生活过的地方。只是他没有想到，梦想成真时，会是以这么戏剧化的方式。
一年前，本报报道了杰弗里父亲二战期间在中国的经历和杰弗里本人近年来一直希望组织一次陆战队老兵或家属前往中国访问的计划。幸运的是，两个多月前，杰弗里获得了中国驻纽约总领事馆的推荐及中国人民对外友好协会的邀请，前往北京出席二战70周年和中国人民抗日战争胜利70周年大阅兵，也终于得偿所愿，有机会寻访了父亲当年所到过的地方。“我站在父亲70年前拍照过的（天坛）回音壁前，忍不住激动，我当着所有游客的面高歌了一曲夏威夷民歌！”
对于杰弗里来说，首次中国之行的惊喜从抵达肯尼迪机场那一刻便开始。甫抵机场，便有中国国航的工作人员迎上前来，协助他办理登机手续。更令他意外的是，登机后，原本友协为他订好的经济舱被升级成了头等舱。忍不住兴奋的他当即在机舱内掏出手机给多位亲戚好友打电话，告诉他们这一好消息。
14个小时后，飞机抵达北京。作为出席阅兵式的嘉宾，他被友协前来接待的工作人员安排快速过关。等坐进前方插有小红旗的礼宾车，杰弗里感觉自己像是在一部《007》电影中。他笑称，“我没想到自己还能有幸体验一把国家元首的待遇！”
等来到下榻的东长安街1号北京君悦大酒店，看到自助餐厅里来自世界各国的二战老兵，甚至包括前飞虎队员、国会任职最长（40年）的共和党籍议员史蒂文森（Ted
Stevens）的遗孀凯瑟琳·史蒂文森，看到每个人都在欢快地交谈和享用各式中西美食，“我觉得天堂大概也就这样了！”
抵达北京后的第三天，杰弗里和众多来自各国的嘉宾一道，观看了盛大的阅兵式，并有幸一天内两次出席人民大会堂的宴会。午宴期间中国国家主席习近平到场致辞，晚宴期间习近平主席第二次出现，与来宾们一起观看了抗战胜利70周年文艺演出。期间那些参加过二战的老兵和他们的家属代表，获颁金质纪念奖章。杰弗里也有幸替父亲领到了一枚。
但最让杰弗里动情的，是在之后游览北京的时间里，在天坛公园，他认出了父亲当年拍过照的地方 ——
回音壁。他记得父亲说从没想到这个地方可以把声音传得这么远。这些地方他在父亲留下来的老照片里看过无数遍，如今，终于有机会亲自踏上这片土地，兴奋与感慨一时难以言表。“我感觉自己坐在时光机里，回到了70年前，一一寻访父亲的足迹，我相信他的在天之灵看到这一切，一定是在微笑。”
同样让杰弗里难忘的，是中国人的友好。：“我觉得美国的媒体没有尽到自己的责任，没有告诉大家真实的中国。”
在阅兵结束后的三天时间里，杰弗里通过纽约好友、皇后区图书馆Laurelton分馆馆长王小良的介绍，获得北京四海孔子书院创办人冯哲的协助及安排，有机会参观了位于北京西山香山的四海孔子书院，在那里看到了一种传承古代儒家教育传统的与众不同的学院生活，逾百名来自中国各地的中小学生聚在一起，诵读儒家经典，学习古人待人处事的行为方式。而北京西山的田园风光和每天早晨“闻鸡起舞”的生活也让杰弗里感觉似乎是生活在一部“国家地理杂志”纪录片里。
短短几天时间里，杰弗里和对外友协的接待人巴翠翠、四海孔子书院的冯哲院长和助理等友人也结下了不解之谊。他们的无私协助都让他感激不尽。杰弗里也希望未来组织更多二战老兵或他们的后人前往中国寻访。
70年前，杰弗里的父亲赫伯特·米德作为美国海军陆战队的前线士兵，和战友一起结束了在日本冲绳岛的罕见的血腥战役，被派往中国，负责接收北京和天津投降的日军并稳定中国的局势。杰弗里记得父亲多年后仍一直怀念在中国的两年半的经历，那是他“一生中最美好的时光”。
杰弗里的父亲生前有一桩心愿，就是为那些当年被派驻过中国的海军陆战队员出一本书，让世人知道他们的故事，让他们不再只是一个无声的、存在于黑白照片上的群体。他的父亲赫伯特五年前去世，享年86岁。他战后大部分时间都在施贵宝公司（Bristol-Myers
Squibb）位于康州和新泽西的分公司度过。
杰弗里也一直保存着父亲留下来的一些在中国的老照片。他记得父亲对其中一张照片非常感慨 —— 那是一张在天津大街上，一对中国年轻人坐着马车结婚的照片，一名美军士兵站在旁边和他们打招呼。“在当时战争所带来的所有阴霾中，这对年轻人仍旧满怀对人生的憧憬和希望，决定为自己的未来举办婚礼，那是让人难以忘怀的一幕。”
赫伯特·米德也到北京四处参观，在故宫等名胜古迹前拍照留念。“我父亲对那里的一个回音壁（天坛公园内）非常感兴趣，他觉得那东西简直有些不可思议，声音怎么可以传那么远？”
杰弗里表示，在中国的美好记忆之外，父亲生前很少对家人提起在日本打仗时的遭遇。只是在生命的最后几年，他开始提到当年在战场上所经历的恐惧。“那是离地狱最近的地方。” 家乡的报纸《格林威治时报》（Greenwich Time）在1945年10月23日刊登了赫伯特·米德的一封家书。信中写道：“我很庆幸当我在冲绳打仗的时候你们不知道我在做什么。。。我从4月8日开始，在前线一直呆到战斗结束（6月22日）。头一个月我们和陆军的不同分队协同作战。老天，我一辈子从来没那么恐惧过。。。我们在前线的人，百分之五十的人最终都牺牲或受伤，我好几次都命悬一线，所以我觉得我能活下来纯粹是侥幸。”
冲绳战役中美军失去了1万2500多名士兵，另有数万人受伤。日军死亡超过11万人。冲绳战役的残酷令美军决策者意识到对日登陆作战可能要付出惨重的代价，这也是后来促使美国决定对日本使用原子弹的原因之一。
