Seventy years later, a nation still remembers

Ma Shixian, Lin Shuishi, Ding Zuxi. More than half a century after these three martyrs died while fighting in the Korean War (1950-53), their families have finally found closure.

On Sunday, the eve of the Martyrs Day, the remains of 177 soldiers who died in the Korean War arrived home aboard a special People's Liberation Army aircraft. Among them were three seals, mentioning the names of the three above-mentioned martyrs. Their families were found within hours, following a nationwide hunt.

Almost 70 years ago, these brave soldiers fought a better equipped and powerful military to defend the newly founded People's Republic of China, successfully bringing the latter to the negotiation table. However, 197,653 Chinese soldiers were killed in the war. China had been seeking to bring their remains home for decades, but it was only in 2013 that China and the Republic of Korea signed a handover agreement. Between 2014 and 2020, the remains of 716 Chinese People's Volunteers Army soldiers have returned and been given a state burial.

That's the best way of showing how China treats its heroes. No matter how much time passes, China will never forget the sacrifices made for defending the nation.

More importantly, these martyrs will not remain merely symbols. They will be remembered as individuals. Each has a story and family of his or her own. While trying to zero in on the families of these three soldiers, the authorities listed detailed information such as their full names, ranks, time of joining the army and when they died for the country. The three were born in the 1920s and died when they were in their 20s. Their sacrifices enabled the Chinese people to enjoy peace and prosperity for decades.

May peace reign forever thanks to our soldiers.