The family of US General Joseph Stilwell, who stood with China in its fight against fascism during World War Two, shared their excitement on being invited to the anniversary parade.
The grand parade was held in Beijing on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
"Such a wonderful display of the Chinese military, and when I was watching it, I was thinking about how General Stilwell would react, knowing his admiration for the Chinese soldier, and I think he would have been so pleased to see how far the military has come in 80 years. It was really a wonderful event, spectacular. I could feel the national pride," said Nancy Millward, great-granddaughter of Stilwell.
She also highlighted the importance of peace and cooperation.
"I think peace in the world is extremely important, and I think that President Xi's speech indicated that, and it was a wonderful example for all of the world to recognize that we can come together and find peace among one another," she said.
Susan Cole, also a great-granddaughter of the general, said attending the 80th anniversary commemoration was a special honor and shared her insights about honoring the past.
"I think the precision of not just the soldiers, but the whole organization, moving people, the decorations, the music, everything was spectacular. It was so great to be able to honor the past so that we can appreciate the present and then look forward to the future," she said.
The family also attended the launch ceremony of a commemorative journey retracing the historic Stilwell Road at the Stilwell Museum in southwest China's Chongqing on Thursday.
Previously named after General Joseph Stilwell, the 1,726-kilometer-long road links the northeastern Indian town of Ledo and Yunnan's provincial capital Kunming via Tengchong. It was a lifeline for the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, with more than 50,000 tons of supplies transported along it to battlefields in China during the war.
Descendants of US General Stilwell on V-Day Parade
