117 remains of Chinese soldiers returning home
"Most of them are unknown martyrs. 'Hero' is their shared name," said Li Hanxiang, a veteran who fought in the Korean War, at a ceremony held at the airport to welcome the martyrs home.
"My father was also a martyr, sacrificed in the Korean War. Seeing the remains of these soldiers return is like seeing my father," said Zhu Jiangbo, who came to the airport early in the morning to welcome the heroes home. "The motherland and the people will never forget them."
Seventy years ago, the Chinese People's Volunteers crossed the Yalu River and fought alongside the army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea against the ROK army and US-led UN forces, eventually winning the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in 1953.
"Why did we win the war? Because we, brave soldiers fearing no sacrifice, were fighting for justice and peace," said Wang Liping, an 89-year-old CPV veteran.
A total of 2.9 million CPV soldiers entered the battlefield, and 197,653 of them sacrificed their lives in the war. The names of the martyrs can be found on a memorial wall at the CPV martyrs' cemetery in Shenyang.
