Pearl of the Desert | Chinese History in Arizona, USA (53) Chapter 4: The History of Four Chinese Families

Arizona Chinese Historical Association: Zhang Zhaohong and Deng Kailong families (5) Deng Kailong's third son, Deng Yuetian (HenryOng), was born in 1923...

Arizona Chinese Historical Association: Zhang Zhaohong

Deng Kailong Family (5)

Deng Kailong's third son, Deng Yuetian (HenryOng), was born in Phoenix, USA in 1923. In 1928, his father, who valued traditional Chinese culture and education, sent Deng Yuedian and his brothers back to China to study. Deng Yuedian studied at the High School Affiliated to National Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou. When he was in his third year of junior high school, he returned to the United States due to the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in China.

In 1942, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in the United States, and World War II broke out. Deng Yuetian enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After his final training at Alamogordo Air Force Base in New Mexico, he was sent to the United Kingdom and assigned to the 837th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group, stationed south of London. The B-24 was a heavy bomber of the day and was operated jointly by up to nine Air Force personnel. They often perform missions at night and usually have to fly for 8 to 10 hours to bombard the enemy deeply. Once, the B-24 was hit by German anti-aircraft fire and lost an engine. Since it was quite a distance to fly back to their base, they originally planned to fly to nearby Switzerland. Switzerland was a neutral country during World War II. Any Allied soldiers who landed in Switzerland would not be handed over to the Germans, but they would have to stay there until the end of the war. They decided not to fly to Switzerland and took the risk of spending more time flying back to England in order to return to the battlefield.

Deng Yuedian participated in the famous Battle of Normandy. Later, they sent B-17 bombers to participate in the battle. On August 6, 1944, Deng Yuedian carried out his 30th mission to bomb the engine factory in Berlin, Germany. After this mission was completed, they could return to the United States for reorganization. When the bomb hit the target, the bomber was unfortunately hit by artillery fire. The plane crashed and the crew was ordered to parachute, but all the soldiers were captured by the Germans. Deng Yuetian had shrapnel, multiple cuts and bruises on her body. Comrade Edward Reicher was the most seriously injured, but because he was of Jewish descent, Germany refused to treat him, and he died the next day.

Deng Yuedian was sent to a prison camp in the east. The hatchback was packed with prisoners of war. They had almost no food and water and were tortured. In February 1945, in order to escape the Soviet offensive, the Germans decided to move the entire prisoner of war camp on foot. Deng Yuedian and more than 10,000 prisoners of war began a "death journey" and walked a thousand miles from east to west Germany. Because the war situation was unfavorable to the German army, the entire prisoner camp turned back from the west to the east. They walked for more than a hundred days, and it was winter. Many prisoners of war died of cold, hunger and disease along the way. Although he survived, he suffered a lot. On May 4, 1945, Deng Yuetian was rescued by the British army and regained his freedom.

Deng Yuetian was the only Chinese American captured in Arizona. In recognition of his participation in major air raids on the European continent. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal, War Vanguard Medal and many other medals. Deng Yuetian retired from the army in October 1945.

After retiring, Deng Yuedian studied at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he met his future bride, Priscilla (Pat) Fong. They married in 1947 and had four children.

Deng Yuetian has made great contributions to the society. He served as the deputy commander of the former American prisoners of war and was also a founding member and commander of the American Legion Thomas Tang 50. In 2005, he was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame (there are only three Chinese Americans in the state).

>Mayor Phil Gordon presented the award to Deng Yuedian

In recognition of Deng Yuedian's contribution to World War II, in 2007, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon designated January 16 as "Deng Yuedian Day".

>Deng Yuetian and his wife are active members of the First Chinese Baptist Church and have served as Sunday school teachers for many years. Actively involved in Gideon International Bible Ministries and serving as a deacon at Royal Palm Baptist Church.

Mr. Deng Yuedian cares about and serves the Chinese community. He has served as chairman of Deng Gaomi Office and chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. He was the permanent master of ceremonies for the Lunar New Year banquet of Deng Gaomi's office until after he was 90 years old. He also had a deep love for his hometown. He went back to his hometown many times to visit relatives and donated US$4,000 to build a village archway in Yong'anli, his hometown.

Although Deng Yuedian is far away from his ancestral home and is in the United States, regardless of whether his descendants will understand the significance of inheriting the genealogy, he resolutely regards compiling the genealogy as his own responsibility. The reason why the Chinese nation has a long history and deep roots is that it has always had a group of descendants of Yan and Huang who have not forgotten their ancestors and inherited the past and the future!

>The author interviewed Mr. Deng Yuetian

Over the years, Mr. Deng Yuetian has been helping me research local Chinese history. He has rich experience and still has a good memory in his nineties. He has provided a lot of information on the humanistic information of Phoenix City and all aspects of the history of Chinese associations.

In 2015, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of the world’s anti-fascist and anti-Japanese war, I once again interviewed the 93-year-old senior Deng Yuedian. He put on the U.S. Air Force uniform from World War II, and still had the majesty and glory of a soldier, which is awe-inspiring!

>Deng Yuedian’s Air Force uniform in World War II

At the same time, Deng Yuedian provided the author with information about the Chinese people in Phoenix City in the United States who supported the motherland’s anti-Japanese salvation during the Second World War. Death information:

During the Second World War, the Chinese in Phoenix City, USA, established the "Fei Ni Overseas Chinese National Salvation Support Association" to purchase "war bonds" issued by the Chinese government and actively support the motherland's resistance to Japan and national salvation. Groups of Chinese people in Phoenix who supported the Anti-Japanese War include: Phoenix Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Phoenix Branch of the Kuomintang, Phoenix Women's Salvation Association, Phoenix Overseas Chinese School, etc. (to be continued)