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Drowned soldier honored at shrine for her courage

Army officer Hsu Hung-yi (許弘宜), who drowned in a river while helping a colleague last year, was recognized at the Taipei Martyrs Shrine yesterday.

A memorial tablet engraved with Hsu's name and her story was laid at the shrine during a ceremony presided over by Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), making the 27-year-old officer one of the few female soldiers to be placed in the shrine, which was originally designed to honor the war dead.

Hsu, a strong swimmer, had taken part in a daring upstream swim in a turbulent Hualien river. Upon seeing that another swimmer, Kuan Wei-ting (官威廷), was having difficulties on approach to a section full of whirlpools, Hsu left a safe place on a cliff edge to allow Kuan to rest there. Hsu then moved forward but was sucked into a whirlpool and drowned.

Hsu's father, a swimming coach who attended the ceremony with his wife, said Hung-yi had lived up to the morals and spirit of a professional officer.

Ma said that Hsu was worthy of the highest respect for her selfless action. He also offered his condolences to Hsu's parents, saying that the courage and compassion of their daughter should be a source of pride for them.

Ma also officiated at the en-shrining of more than 1,400 Ching dynasty soldiers dispatched to Taiwan who died defending the north against French forces 120 years ago.

Ma said Taipei owed the Ching soldiers a debt of gratitude for fighting the French invaders, a move that prompted the Ching authorities to build a town that was the birthplace of Taipei City.

The enshrining of the Ching soldiers is one of a series of activities sponsored by the Taipei City Government to mark the 120th anniversary of the founding of Taipei City.
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