James Veneris
Encyclopedia
James George Veneris or Lao Wen (b. 1922 Vandergrift, Pennsylvania
, d. before 2005 China
), was a soldier in the American forces during the Korean War
, was captured by the Chinese and was one of 21 US soldiers at the end of the war who decided they would rather stay in China than return to the US.
Veneris had served in the South Pacific during World War II, and said he re-enlisted because he couldn't find anything else to do and hoped Army life would provide security. After he chose to live in China, the Army gave Veneris a dishonorable discharge and refused to provide back pay for his time in prison camp. The Chinese gave him a stipend
and moved him to Shandong province, where he was given a job in a state-run pulp factory in Jinan
that turned discarded cloth shoes into toilet paper for export to Hong Kong. He alone of the defectors stayed through the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution
sheltered by his co-workers at the factory and an announcement by Premier Zhou Enlai
calling him an "international freedom fighter". After a third marriage, to a botanist, Veneris remarried his second wife in 1989. Veneris returned to the United States twice, first in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial and again some time in the late 1990s. He was one of the subjects of a 2005 documentary called They Chose China which was directed by Shui-Bo Wang and produced by the National Film Board of Canada
.
Veneris died in China in 2004.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, d. before 2005 China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
), was a soldier in the American forces during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, was captured by the Chinese and was one of 21 US soldiers at the end of the war who decided they would rather stay in China than return to the US.
Veneris had served in the South Pacific during World War II, and said he re-enlisted because he couldn't find anything else to do and hoped Army life would provide security. After he chose to live in China, the Army gave Veneris a dishonorable discharge and refused to provide back pay for his time in prison camp. The Chinese gave him a stipend
Stipend
A stipend is a form of salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from a wage or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work performed, instead it represents a payment that enables somebody to be exempt partly or wholly from waged or salaried...
and moved him to Shandong province, where he was given a job in a state-run pulp factory in Jinan
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
that turned discarded cloth shoes into toilet paper for export to Hong Kong. He alone of the defectors stayed through the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
sheltered by his co-workers at the factory and an announcement by Premier Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
calling him an "international freedom fighter". After a third marriage, to a botanist, Veneris remarried his second wife in 1989. Veneris returned to the United States twice, first in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial and again some time in the late 1990s. He was one of the subjects of a 2005 documentary called They Chose China which was directed by Shui-Bo Wang and produced by the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
.
Veneris died in China in 2004.
External links
- They Chose China, NFB documentary (2005) on American POW's who chose to stay in China
- Where are they now? New lives, old secrets