【 Special Issue of the Province of Alberta on the 70th Anniversary of the Anti-Fascist Victory] This is how we commemorate history

[Special Issue of the Province of Alberta on the 70th Anniversary of our Anti-Fascist Victory] This is how we commemorate history Phoenix PEN Tucson Huiming The newly completed University of Arizona Student Center was elegantly...

Phoenix PEN Tucson Huiming

The newly completed University of Arizona Student Center is surrounded by elegant red buildings and green trees, which is very unique. Not to mention how this peculiar warship shape is harmoniously integrated into the ancient traditional architecture, bringing modern vitality to this century-old school; nor is it necessary to describe in detail the deliberately placed bar seats scattered around the center, bringing a touch of leisure and romance to the tense school life. Even in the heart of the student center, you can also feel the unique ingenuity of the designer.

That is a prominent position in general buildings, where the owners, designers and construction companies have left their lasting names. But here, the three-dimensional space surrounded by the stairs from the first to the third floor is exclusively occupied by a pool. Above the pool, a giant rusty iron chain hangs from the solid wall on the third floor.

Many buildings or designs in the United States were designed by people with modern design ideas. There are many things that you may not understand, but you can't help but be surprised and moved. When I first looked at this chain, I thought it was another abstract artist playing with depth. On beautiful roads in the United States, a strange shape made of old bicycle steel rims and frames will suddenly appear from the ground, telling you to drive carefully. This traffic-impeding thing is also protected by law and cannot be removed.

Is this iron chain another unique idea of ​​a designer?

After reading the description, I realized that this chain is not trivial and cannot be obtained by ordinary people or ordinary groups. It turns out that this chain comes from the famous USS Arizona, an American battleship that was sunk by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Along with the battleship, 1,177 American soldiers sank. The sinking of the battleship caused a strong reaction across the United States. As a result, the United States began to counterattack Japan, opening up the Asian battlefield of World War II, until it finally defeated Japanese fascism. At the end of World War II, states in the United States were quarreling over the ownership of another battleship, the USS Missouri. The governor of Hawaii stood up and said: "Let the Missouri live next to the Arizona. The Arizona is a heavy history, the beginning of World War II; the Missouri is a glorious victory, the end of World War II." The Arizona has since been preserved as a witness to that heavy history.

In the United States, few people now mention the Pacific War. Even if they do, people do it vaguely, as if they have done something wrong. This is a bit like Germany now. When it comes to where the Berlin Wall is, Germans, especially the former West German people, are reluctant to tell them directly, especially the words "East Germany". The mood of the German people is understandable. Let bygones be bygones, and don't make irresponsible remarks on the losers as winners. History has its own conclusion on this. This may be a gentlemanly thing to do.

The account between the United States and Japan is not the same as the account between the East and West German systems, but many Americans are reluctant to mention it. Was it because they used atomic bombs back then that they were too violent in revenge and felt guilty? Or is it because Japan is using cars to silence American young people today? Maybe the school has other concerns. There are three million Japanese tourists visiting Hawaii every year, but only a few go to Pearl Harbor to see the Arizona. Could it be that hanging up the Arizona chain in the school today will arouse resentment or hatred among Japanese students and cause racial problems? unknown.

But is giving up the past because of some people’s resentment worthy of American history and the witnesses of history? This seems to have never been the American character. Tucson, Arizona, is a retirement home for American veterans because of its mild climate. Every year on World War II Memorial Day, you can still see those veterans who survived the Pearl Harbor attack.

The designers and the principals of the University of Arizona finally used their own way to bring the iron chain of history back to the peaceful campus, allowing it to silently reproduce history in its own way, just like the USS Arizona lying under the water. The iron chain records the rusty accumulation of more than 70 years of history, which makes people who know it give it special respect and admiration, although 80% to 90% of the young students in this school think it is just an art pendant. Let’s make abstract art for once. The chain on the Arizona is a piece of history, but so many students don’t understand that the chain is also another piece of American history. This is complete America.

Fortunately, there are many young people who are commemorating history like the designer of that chain. A few years ago, in the year of the 60th anniversary of the victory of World War II, the Chinese Students Association of the University of Arizona stood at the door of the chain-hung building, facing the scorching sun, and used printed materials to expose the crimes of Japanese fascism. You can be indignant, you can be disdainful, or you can oppose, but that's how I am, like the chains on the USS Arizona, commemorating history and restoring history in my own way.