Racing Against Time: A Teacher-Student Team Documents the Oral Histories of Over 200 Korean War Veterans

“As time passes, how should we preserve our memories?” A team of teachers and students from Liaoning University has provided their answer through nearly two years of “rescue-style” oral history collection.

From September 2023 to June 2025, as the undertaking unit of the National Social Science Fund project “Oral History Collection and Organization of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea,” the teachers and students of Liaoning University completed the oral history collection of 204 veterans of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, ultimately organizing a total of 2 million words of oral transcripts.

The memories and narratives of the veterans filled in the gaps of details beyond the documented records.

“When crossing the river, someone shouted to us

you all must come back alive”

Veteran Sun Fu of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army entered combat in Korea in April 1951. Veteran Sun recalled that when the troops crossed the Yalu River, someone shouted, “You all must come back alive.” “How could everyone come back alive?” He remembered that a platoon leader in his company continued to fight even after being wounded, “He knelt and pushed forward with a broken leg,” but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.

“A handful of fried noodles and a handful of snow

exchanged for today’s moderately prosperous life”

Veteran Yuan Suozhi, 94 years old, has a particularly deep impression of the harsh conditions on the battlefield and the tenacious spirit of the soldiers. “In heavy snow, the temperature suddenly dropped from about minus ten degrees to over minus thirty degrees, and we slid down the hillside.”

Yuan recalled the difficult conditions during the combat, saying everyone had “a handful of fried noodles and a handful of snow,” and due to the lack of nutrition, many soldiers suffered from “night blindness.” Reflecting on his experiences, Yuan emotionally stated, “It was worth it, as it exchanged for today’s moderately prosperous life.”

These fiery stories that have been recorded capture the living memories behind them. During the two years and nine months of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, approximately 2.4 million volunteer soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army participated in the war, with over 197,000 heroic sons and daughters sacrificing their precious lives for the country, for the people, and for peace.

Salute to the most lovable people!

(Reporter: Lin Shanrong, Yi Shengnan)