WWII Pacific War Memorial Hall in SF Chinatown

By Winny Lin林龍素華

We never know what adventures we will run into in the 24 square blocks that make up San Francisco’s hustling, bustling and, above all, touristy Chinatown!  It is a place that I absolutely adore.

It was pure luck that we discovered the WWII Pacific War Memorial Hall while strolling on Grant Avenue with some friends.  It was even more amazing that we met Florence Fang, the founder of the memorial (see photo #1) and some of the very enthusiastic student volunteers from San Francisco Academy of Arts who help out as docents at the museum. 

The Memorial Hall is a museum devoted to remembering the Chinese experience during World War II and it is the first of its kind outside of China.  Now the exhibit houses hundreds of photos, artifacts, weapons and sculptures, in a 5,000 square ft. facility. The museum opened on August 15, 2015, the 70^th anniversary of Japan’s signing one of the key surrender documents that ended the war in the Pacific.  The founder looks and acts far younger than her 80-plus years and I wonder if I will ever have the energy and determination to take on such a huge task when I get to her age.

The artifacts and exhibits are definitely amazing.  It took Ms. Fang over a year to gather and organize them.  As a whole, the Hall certainly accomplishes her major objectives in creating this museum: Helping the younger generations to understand what happened during the war, to learn its true history, and to realize the importance of maintaining peace.  Two bright red banners announce these objectives to visitors when they first enter the building.  尊重歷史(right)， 珍惜和平 (left)。To show that I understood the lesson, I hit the gong, “I got it!”  (photo #2)

 Ms. Fang’s dedication to this project is personal.  As she said in a recent interview, “Everybody lost their family members, everybody. Three of my brothers went to army and they give up their study in the middle high school, university, they went to join the army to protect their own country, protect their home.” The invasion of China began in 1937 and a total of 35 million lost lives during the war.

Although I did not lose any of my family members during the war, I did hear terrifying tales about it from my elders.  My mother repeatedly told me about fleeing from the Japanese soldiers by hiding in the rice paddy in Guilin and how the leaches sucked her blood along her calves. Yuck!  I also remember growing up with stories of Colonel Claire Chennault and Flying Tigers, a group of American fighter pilots who volunteered to fight with Chinese pilots side by side in WWII.  Mrs. Chennault, a Chinese-American, visited Taiwan and was in the news many times when I was a teenager. Photos and other artifacts of Flying Tigers are prominently featured at the Memorial Hall. 

One tall black cabinet at the entrance really attracted my attention.  Student  volunteer Jiang explained that during WWII, Chinese-Americans saved one bowl of rice daily, 一人一碗饭， and sent the money to the newspaper “Kuo Min Yat Po” 國民日報for them to keep in the safe to donate to China in the fight against Japan’s invasion. (photo #3)

When the Hall was officially opened on August 15, the Chinese consul general in San Francisco was a featured speaker and he addressed a large audience that included young and old, including many WWII veterans.  I am happy that I bumped into this place and met Ms. Fang and the enthusiastic volunteers.  Maybe you would like to visit there too.

An Enchanted Evening with the Summer Quartet

Thanks to Peninsula Symphony Cellist Alan Bien, we had quite a treat at Lucille and Billy Lee’s home on August 23rd. Mr. Bien invited three of his musician friends to make a “Summer Quartet.” Violinist Cathie Lowmiller of the Peninsula Symphony led the group, and added explanations to all the pieces. Another Violinist Hazel Keelan, who performs with various chamber groups including the Redwood Symphony, played first violin interchangeably—and beautifully-- with Cathie. Violist Goetz Leonhard, who plays with Mission Chamber, demonstrated his wonderful skill when he played the solo piece, “Jamie’s Waltz,” written by Cathie Lowmiller.
Thanks to all the quartet members for entertaining our group. Thanks also to Lucille and Billy Lee for opening their home to us.

Cathie Lowmiller (left) and Hazel Keelan (right)

The talented quartet

Billy Lee introducing our guests

A table of Friends

Vice President Winny Lin thanking guests

Recent Guest George Koo to Talk on NPR's All Thing Considered

Dr. George Koo joined us Sunday, August 9 to discuss the recent formation of the Asian Infrastucture Investment Bank. The AIIB was formed for two basic reasons, explained Dr. Koo.
1) The 2008 Financial Crisis sent a shock wave through China, shaking the confidence it had in America’s ability to make the right financial decisions.
2) In order to make a decision the IMF must have 85% agreement. However, as the US has 16.6 percent majority, they can veto any decision. China wanted more say in the World Bank and IMF, but Congress refused.
So, on October 2, 2013, President Xi Jinping raised the idea of creating a new investment bank the purpose of which is to modernize third-rate counries. By the following year 22 prospective nations had signed on. While Obama spent many months in the beginning of this year travelling about and warning people not to get involved, the UK joined in March and by the end of the month all of the major first-world countries had joined except for the US and Japan.
The key aspects of the bank are:
1) There is no outright veto power in day-to-day operations. A decision requires 75% majority. While currently China has 26% voting rights, as they are investing 30% of the initial capital, that percentage can change and is dependent on monetary participation.
2) The Board of Directors will comprise unpaid members who do not reside in the same location as the bank.
3) Bidding of projects is open to non-members.
4) Starting capital is 100 billion dollars.
In addition to the AIIB, China is also working on a BRICS Bank, made up of five countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Each country will contribute $20 billion dollars, and each will have an equal vote. The purpose of both of these organizations is to raise infrastructure. It is estimated that the coming decade will require 7-8 trillion dollars in infrastructure. So these two new banks are a drop in the bucket.
“The advantages for China are several,” said Dr. Koo. “China is not just doling out riches.” They are doing this
1) to make friends among Asian countries
2) to create opportunities for China’s construction and engineering companies
3) to create further regional and global economic integration,
4) and to facilitate the eventual internationalization of the Renminbi.
This last one gave several audience members pause. “What?” asked one man. “Why would we want that?”
Dr. Koo pointed out that while the dollar feels as if it has been around forever, it’s really a recent phenomenon. (The dollar was first created in 1786, and only became the international currency standard after WWII.)
The benefit for the world, Dr. Koo noted would be:
*Fill an investment void. (Currently Asia Development Bank only meets less than 2% of the total investment needs in Asia.)
*Strengthen and facilitate growth in Asia.
“There are no disadvantages to this program,” said Dr. Koo. “There are way too many projects that need financing. In fact, the only disadvantage is psychological. The U.S. doesn’t like the limelight taken from the IMF.” He paused. “But we’re all big boys. We’ll get over it.”
(Dr. Koo will be a guest on this weekend's "All Things Considered"--NPR, Saturday August 15th to discuss the anniversary of the end of WWII. Check your local listings for the correct time for your area.)

A Magical Musical Evening

August 9: In Conversation with Dr. George Koo

Stanford Scholars Give Voice to Past

Almost 150 years after the Transcontinental Railway was built, a group of Stanford scholars is shedding light on the deeply intertwined relationship that occurred between the US and China. Read more.

Some more photos of John Jung and Flo Oy Wong