PHOTOS
1940's to early 1950's, Thailand :

Dad in his 20's


Dad and an old car


Rama I Bridge, Bangkok


Water buffalos


At a beach


Dad teaching judo to the Thai police

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More about the Scholarship: (English after Chinese)

Like Part One , this page serves as an explanation for those that cannot read Chinese.
It is not a full translation.

The Scholarship's Annual Review for the year 2000 (or Minguo Year of 89), which was published in the year 2001 (Minguo Year of 90), said in Minguo Year of 33 (or 1944), the commercial ship that my dad boarded was conscripted and turned into a warship.

Dad, then a young man in his early 20's, was traveling to Siam, or Thailand, for a promising job in an overseas Japanese enterprise. It was the best way for him to avoid being conscripted into the Japanese Army.

Unfortunately, the ship was sunk by the American when it was sailing across the Bashi Channel between the Philippines and Taiwan.

But luckily, after two days and nights of floating in the shark-infested region of the ocean, Dad and a few survivors were saved by another Japanese warship.

They landed in Singapore and were admitted to a hospital for recovery before they finally arrived in Siam (Thailand) in the winter of 1944.

Six months after Dad had worked he sent home what he had saved, a total of 396 Baht, which was a large sum in those days. He sent it via Bangkok branch of a Japanese bank.

Unfortunately the money did not make it to Grandparents.

It was the time WWII about to end, the Japanese troops about to retreat from Taiwan after its 50 years of occupation, and the time the KMT government from China about to take over the island of Taiwan back from the Japanese.

The world was changing drastically. A hectic world.

56 years later, with the help of relatives, friends, and Taiwanese MP, etc., who successfully pressed the Taiwanese authority to pass the law of "processing money transferred to Taiwan from overseas Taiwanese (Japanese) banks during the Japanese Occupation", Dad finally got the chance to reclaim this amount of money.

He told everyone once the money was returned, he wanted to donate all of it - including its 56 years of the interest - to the scholarship fund for the offsprings of the Chen's.

Dad often says education is the most precious thing one can give to the next generation.

Founders of the Chen A-Rui Scholarship:

In the living room of what used to be the old dirt house.
In Feng-Yuan, Taiwan (March 1993)
From left: Uncle 5 ( 五叔 "Goh-jeg"), Uncle 7 (七叔 "Chid-jeg"),
Uncle 3 (三伯 "Sah-beh"), Dad, Uncle 6 (六叔 "Lak-jeg"), Uncle 2 (二伯 "Jee-beh")

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NEXT :   Ancestors on Mom's side 關於黃端本堂家譜

Comments from my MTP (journal item no. 339)



Pictures of Rolls Royce from Glenda's album at MTP. Thank you Glenda!