Honoring a hidden army

One of the oldest surviving veterans of the communist-led guerrilla force that opposed Japanese troops during the dark days of occupation recalls her days fighting a hit-and-run campaign in the forests and mountains of Northeast China. Wang Ru reports.

As she rose slowly from her wheelchair to get a better view of the old black-and-white photos, Li Zaide, dressed in a green military uniform with a dozen badges across the chest, momentarily resembled the tough soldier she once was.

As she surveyed the photos of war-torn China at an exhibition in Beijing, the 98-year-old guerrilla veteran recalled the battles in the snow-covered forests, where she fought side by side with her late husband, her mother, who was executed by the Japanese, and the comrades she lost.