Stilwell fondly remembered as friend of China

Grandson of US general who helped fight Japanese invaders says affection was mutual

A wonderful family man, a fourstar United States Army general, a great friend of the Chinese people — all aptly describe the late Joseph Stilwell in the eyes of his grandson John Easterbrook.

"Modest, courteous, humanitarian, linguist, teacher, patriot, poet "was how Easterbrook, an 82-year-old retired Army colonel, further described the other, perhaps lesserknown, side of the courageous, acerbic Stilwell, whose nickname was "Vinegar Joe".

Easterbrook said he hoped more people could emulate his grandfather's better qualities and draw inspiration from his legacy.

"I think that it would behoove everybody to know what kind of man Stilwell was, and particularly his friendship with the Chinese people," Easterbrook said during an interview with China Daily at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

'Great respect'

Stilwell served as commander of US forces in the China-Burma-India Theater from 1942 to 1944. He is fondly remembered as a hero who fought side by side with the Chinese people against the Japanese invasion. He is the only US military leader with a museum dedicated to him in China.

"He had great respect and admiration for the Chinese people, and in return, the Chinese people have a very high regard for him locked in their hearts," said Easterbrook.

The mutual affection is evident in photos, one of which shows Stilwell doffing his hat and speaking to Chinese veterans. Another shows Chinese welcoming the first convoy on "Stilwell Road", an overland connection between India and China that was built to aid the war effort against Japan and later named after him as a token of gratitude.

Stilwell's admiration for the Chinese was not just for "the top-echelon people" but for the laobaixing, said Easterbrook, using the Chinese expression for ordinary people.

"In 1921, he was chief engineer responsible for constructing a famine relief road in Shaanxi province, and he rubbed elbows on a daily basis with the workers and the supervisors. He lived as they did, stayed in Chinese inns, traveled the way they did," said Easterbrook.

Referring to the qualities of the Chinese, Easterbrook quoted from the writings of his grandfather, who described them as "honest, frugal, industrious, cheerful, independent, tolerant, friendly and courteous".

Stilwell was military attache to the US legation in Beijing, then known as Peking, from 1935 to 1939 during the beginning of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

"He would go out into the field and try and observe the activities of the Japanese and the Chinese forces, so he got to know the Chinese and he was fluent in Chinese," said Easterbrook. "He could go out and talk to anybody. But he developed an opinion of the Chinese soldiers, and he saw that they had some very good qualities."

His grandfather wrote: "The Chinese soldier best exemplifies the greatness of the Chinese people — their indomitable spirit, their uncomplaining loyalty, their honesty of purpose, their steadfast perseverance. He asks for little and always stands ready to give all."

When Stilwell commanded two Chinese divisions in the northern Burma campaign in late 1943 and 1944 in what is known today as Myanmar, he made some changes, providing the soldiers with better food as well as improved medical care, equipment and training.

"He personally would go down to the front lines to encourage the soldiers, and the soldiers saw that, and he soon found out they could defeat the Japanese," said Easterbrook.

Stilwell won the respect and loyalty of Chinese soldiers to lead the campaign that brought Japan's occupation of China to an end in 1945.

Stilwell died in San Francisco in 1946 at age 63.

His residence in Chongqing, the wartime capital of China, was converted to a museum and opened to the public in 1991. After renovations and expansion, the museum reopened in 2003 for the 120th anniversary of Stilwell's birth.

Easterbrook said that Stilwell is better known in China than in the US because actions in Europe overshadowed the Pacific war effort, and that many Americans today are surprised to learn of the US effort against Japan in China.

The Stilwell Museum in Chongqing has served as a window for Westerners to learn about this overlooked chapter of history.

Among reviews posted on Trip-Advisor, a visitor from Cincinnati, Ohio, wrote that "few in our party had heard of General Stilwell or the events depicted in this museum "and considered the visit "a learning experience". A visitor from Adelaide, Australia, wrote, "Good to be reminded of a time when USA and China worked and sacrificed together for the greater good, something which the Chongqing locals have not forgotten."

Commemorative events

To help educate visitors about Stilwell's contribution to and friendship with China, Easterbrook has been helping the museum with exhibits. "This year, we'll open an exhibit with a theme of 'Who Was Stilwell?' to explain to visitors what his life comprised and emphasize his friendship with the Chinese people," he said.

Commemorations will be held at the museum this month to mark 140 years since Stilwell's birth on March 19, 1883.

Easterbrook, who has been to China 17 times, can't make it to the commemorations this month due to health issues, but his two daughters and their families will attend and represent the Stilwell family.

Stilwell was "a very modest guy and he didn't like a lot of fanfare, but I think he would be very pleased that the Chinese people were still remembering him", Easterbrook said.

Contact the writers at liazhu@chinadailyusa.com